thestream--2020-04-15--This is More Important Than Recognizing ‘The Mark of the Beast’

I ’ m hearing questions like these virtually every day from concerned Christians .
“ Do you think world reaction to the coronavirus is preparing the way for the antichrist ?
Will there be a mandatory vaccine that will include a microchip ?
Could this be the mark of the beast ?
” To be sure , I ’ m not a friend of globalism .
And I ’ m certainly not keen on the government having the right to insert a chip in our bodies .
Obedience to God in Everyday Life is More Relevant But , to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking much about the antichrist or the mark of the beast .
There are far more pressing ( and practical ) issues that demand my ( and our ) attention .
Like loving God .
And loving our neighbors .
And being decent human beings .
And sharing our faith .
And walking in moral purity .
And keeping our marriages healthy .
And spending quality time with our kids .
Yes , everyday stuff like that .
It may not be as exciting as studying end-time prophecy ( this is called “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be as exotic as the visions in the Book of Revelation .
But on a daily basis , all this is far more relevant than speculation about “ the mark of the beast.
” The Book of Revelation Discusses the Antichrist and the Mark of the Beast For those not familiar with some of these concepts , they come from the Book of Revelation , which speaks of a Satan-empowered world leader , described as a 7-headed beast wearing 10 crowns on its heads .
This end-time world leader , also called “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by “ everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain ” ( Rev 13:8 ; again , for those not familiar with this imagery , the Lamb refers to Jesus ) .
Revelation also describes another demonic figure who “ causes all , both small and great , both rich and poor , both free and slave , to be marked on the right hand or the forehead , so that no one can buy or sell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , the name of the beast or the number of its name ” ( Rev 13:16-17 ) .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
This all sounds frightfully serious , which is why many Christians ask : What , exactly , is this mark ?
And are we unwittingly paving the way towards a one-world government — in other words , towards an antichrist system ?
But there are several problems with this line of thinking ( although , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of globalism ) .
We Need to Understand Revelation ’ s Literary Genre First , Revelation belongs to the genre of apocalyptic , which describes world events in visionary terms which are not meant to be taken literally .
Or do you actually believe that the antichrist will be 7-headed human being who looks like a leopard and has feet like a bear ’ s and a mouth like a lion ’ s ( see Rev 13:2 ) ?
To rightly understand Revelation , we need to rightly understand its literary genre .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ literal mark put on the right hand and the forehead .
Or perhaps this is symbolic of something else .
In my view , it is this “ something else ” which should have our attention .
( I ’ ll explain this more in a moment . )
What Did Revelation Mean to Its First Readers ?
Second , while Revelation does describe future events , including the Lord ’ s return , the final judgment , and the New Heavens and New Earth , it is also relevant to every generation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true for the first recipients of the book more than 1,900 years ago .
What did Revelation mean to them ?
As many commentators have pointed out , these early Christian readers would have likely seen “ the beast ” as a figure in their day , namely , the tyrannical Roman emperor .
It was he who demanded to be worshiped as a god under penalty of death .
And it was he who often brutally persecuted the Christians .
So , the first readers of Revelation would not have been as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they were with the very real antichrist before them .
In their minds , today ’ s very present evil was more than enough to deal with .
Tomorrow ’ s prophesied evil could wait until then .
Following Christ Has Cost Christians Society ’ s Metaphorical ‘ Stamp of Approval ’ As for the reference to “ the mark of the beast , ” Prof. G.K. Beale notes that “ it enforces the metaphorical idea that the mark alludes to the state ’ s political and economic ‘ stamp of approval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go along with its religious demands.
” In other words , you bow to the godless demands of the state or you don ’ t get to enjoy the benefits of the state .
As explained by Robert H. Mounce in his Revelation commentary , the ultimate focus is on the deification of the secular government .
At all points , that must be resisted .
For us , as followers of Jesus in any age , that is where the rubber meets the road .
Will we compromise our convictions for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refuse to take a stand for what is right because of the negative consequences ?
Will we give to Caesar what belongs to God ?
Again , it could be that one day , there will be a literal mark demanded by the antichrist himself .
Perhaps , at that time , those who refuse to receive that mark will pay with their own lives .
But around the world , even as I write , Christians are refusing to take the mark in other ways .
Christians Are Refusing to Take the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refusing to convert to Islam .
As a result , they are ( quite literally ) losing their heads for their faith .
In China , they are refusing to conform to the communist state ’ s godless demands .
This forces them to go underground with their faith and often results in prison and even torture .
In America , we can refuse to take the mark — figuratively speaking — when we say no to pornographic sex-ed curricula for our children .
Or when we hold to our religious convictions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It can even happen , on the most basic level , when a Christian high school student takes a pro-life stance while the rest of her classmates ( and teachers ) ridicule her .
Let ’ s Focus on Everyday Obedience to the Lord This is where our focus needs to be , on everyday obedience to the Lord and His commission .
If we obey in the here and now , tomorrow will take care of itself .
I focus on issues like this in my new book When the World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis .
That ’ s why one of the chapters is titled , “ The Gospel Is Made for the Hard Times ” and another chapter is titled , “ A Little Wisdom Goes a Long Way.
” So , rather than wondering about the future antichrist and the mark of the beast , be sure not to sell your soul for a godless system today .
As followers of Jesus , we bow the knee to one Lord and one Lord only .
Dr. Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is When the World Stops : Words of Faith , Hope , and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis .
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

I’m hearing questions like these virtually every day from concerned Christians. “Do you think world reaction to the coronavirus is preparing the way for the antichrist? Will there be a mandatory vaccine that will include a microchip? Could this be the mark of the beast?”
To be sure, I’m not a friend of globalism. And I’m certainly not keen on the government having the right to insert a chip in our bodies.
Obedience to God in Everyday Life is More Relevant
But, to be perfectly candid, I’m not thinking much about the antichrist or the mark of the beast. There are far more pressing (and practical) issues that demand my (and our) attention. Like loving God. And loving our neighbors. And being decent human beings. And sharing our faith. And walking in moral purity. And keeping our marriages healthy. And spending quality time with our kids.
On a daily basis, all this is far more relevant than speculation about “the mark of the beast.”
Yes, everyday stuff like that.
It may not be as exciting as studying end-time prophecy (this is called “eschatology”). It may not be as exotic as the visions in the Book of Revelation. But on a daily basis, all this is far more relevant than speculation about “the mark of the beast.”
The Book of Revelation Discusses the Antichrist and the Mark of the Beast
For those not familiar with some of these concepts, they come from the Book of Revelation, which speaks of a Satan-empowered world leader, described as a 7-headed beast wearing 10 crowns on its heads.
This end-time world leader, also called “the antichrist,” will be worshiped by “everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain” (Rev 13:8; again, for those not familiar with this imagery, the Lamb refers to Jesus).
Revelation also describes another demonic figure who “causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name” (Rev 13:16-17).
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
This all sounds frightfully serious, which is why many Christians ask: What, exactly, is this mark? And are we unwittingly paving the way towards a one-world government — in other words, towards an antichrist system?
But there are several problems with this line of thinking (although, to repeat, I am no friend of globalism).
We Need to Understand Revelation’s Literary Genre
First, Revelation belongs to the genre of apocalyptic, which describes world events in visionary terms which are not meant to be taken literally. Or do you actually believe that the antichrist will be 7-headed human being who looks like a leopard and has feet like a bear’s and a mouth like a lion’s (see Rev 13:2)?
To rightly understand Revelation, we need to rightly understand its literary genre.
Perhaps one day there will be a literal mark put on the right hand and the forehead. Or perhaps this is symbolic of something else.
In my view, it is this “something else” which should have our attention. (I’ll explain this more in a moment.)
What Did Revelation Mean to Its First Readers?
Second, while Revelation does describe future events, including the Lord’s return, the final judgment, and the New Heavens and New Earth, it is also relevant to every generation of readers. This would be especially true for the first recipients of the book more than 1,900 years ago. What did Revelation mean to them?
As many commentators have pointed out, these early Christian readers would have likely seen “the beast” as a figure in their day, namely, the tyrannical Roman emperor. It was he who demanded to be worshiped as a god under penalty of death. And it was he who often brutally persecuted the Christians.
So, the first readers of Revelation would not have been as concerned with a future, theoretical antichrist as they were with the very real antichrist before them. In their minds, today’s very present evil was more than enough to deal with. Tomorrow’s prophesied evil could wait until then.
Following Christ Has Cost Christians Society’s Metaphorical ‘Stamp of Approval’
As for the reference to “the mark of the beast,” Prof. G.K. Beale notes that “it enforces the metaphorical idea that the mark alludes to the state’s political and economic ‘stamp of approval,’ given only to those who go along with its religious demands.”
In other words, you bow to the godless demands of the state or you don’t get to enjoy the benefits of the state. As explained by Robert H. Mounce in his Revelation commentary, the ultimate focus is on the deification of the secular government. At all points, that must be resisted.
Around the world, even as I write, Christians are refusing to take the mark in other ways.
For us, as followers of Jesus in any age, that is where the rubber meets the road. Will we compromise our convictions for the sake of our convenience? Will we refuse to take a stand for what is right because of the negative consequences? Will we give to Caesar what belongs to God?
Again, it could be that one day, there will be a literal mark demanded by the antichrist himself. Perhaps, at that time, those who refuse to receive that mark will pay with their own lives.
But around the world, even as I write, Christians are refusing to take the mark in other ways.
Christians Are Refusing to Take the Mark Today
In Nigeria, they are refusing to convert to Islam. As a result, they are (quite literally) losing their heads for their faith.
In China, they are refusing to conform to the communist state’s godless demands. This forces them to go underground with their faith and often results in prison and even torture.
In America, we can refuse to take the mark — figuratively speaking — when we say no to pornographic sex-ed curricula for our children. Or when we hold to our religious convictions, even when it costs us our jobs.
It can even happen, on the most basic level, when a Christian high school student takes a pro-life stance while the rest of her classmates (and teachers) ridicule her.
Let’s Focus on Everyday Obedience to the Lord
This is where our focus needs to be, on everyday obedience to the Lord and His commission. If we obey in the here and now, tomorrow will take care of itself.
I focus on issues like this in my new book When the World Stops: Words of Faith, Hope, and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis. That’s why one of the chapters is titled, “The Gospel Is Made for the Hard Times” and another chapter is titled, “A Little Wisdom Goes a Long Way.”
So, rather than wondering about the future antichrist and the mark of the beast, be sure not to sell your soul for a godless system today. As followers of Jesus, we bow the knee to one Lord and one Lord only.
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is When the World Stops: Words of Faith, Hope, and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.
CALL TO ACTION: COVID-19 is causing massive disruptions in life. The Stream’s parent organization, LIFE Outreach International, is helping send a first wave of help. LIFE’s local mission partners are already distributing thousands of surgical masks, gloves and other sanitary supplies to first responders, hospitals and nursing homes. In addition, other partners have focused on distributing as many meals as possible to help those who need food. You can help with these efforts. Click here to donate.


thestream--2020-04-15--Our Heroic Efforts to Stop the Coronavirus Could Be Great Pain for Little Gain

Countries around the world are running the largest real-time social experiment in history .
The goal ?
To stop a historic pandemic in its tracks .
Some of the measures to slow the coronavirus are just inconvenient .
But others force heroic effort upon millions of people , at huge cost to lives and well-being .
Do these efforts match the danger ?
And , more importantly , do they even work ?
The best answer at the moment is : Probably not .
We ’ re not saving millions of lives — because millions of lives weren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts seem to be doing much less good than we had hoped .
It would therefore make sense for us to return to normal as soon as we can .
A Test No One Would Want to Conduct Would many millions have died if the world had not shut itself down ?
The most scientific way to prove that lockdowns and social distancing work would have been to test them in some places but not in others .
Assume there were hundreds of coronavirus cases in all these populations at the start .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pathogens , unprotected groups would suffer huge losses .
The outcome in protected peoples would then be a clear sign that the measures worked .
For example , the bubonic plague wiped out nearly half of Europe within the space of four years ( 1347 to 1351 ) .
If a few European countries had done nothing , while others worked to stop the spread , the stark contrast of outcomes would have proven the value of the measures beyond any doubt .
Though no one would run such a test on purpose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t caused a huge increase in deaths in any country is telling .
Italy , for example , has fared worse than most .
Coronavirus infections peaked there two weeks ago .
As cases continue to decline , over 20,000 lives have been lost with another 10,000 to come .
Each of these deaths is a deep loss to families and friends .
The question is whether they ’ re the sign of a deadly pandemic — that is , a disease that kills a large segment of the general population .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pandemic would kill young and old , healthy and unhealthy in large numbers .
Almost all the coronavirus victims in Italy , in contrast , have been old and unhealthy .
One report found the mean age at death to be 79.5 years .
And nearly all victims have had preexisting health problems , often in combination .
Nearly half had three or more underlying diseases .
Why does that matter ?
Italy tends to lose about 600,000 people per year , over 40,000 of these to non-cancer respiratory disease .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elderly , many with several health problems .
The similar profiles suggest that some deaths attributed to coronavirus are being borrowed from other common causes of death .
But it will be some time before we can figure out the extent of this overcounting .
What ’ s clear is that 30,000 deaths of mostly elderly people in poor health is not the mark of a historic plague .
Bottom line : Our efforts can ’ t be stopping a plague-like pandemic that kills indiscriminately because there isn ’ t such a pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tell if our Efforts are Working ?
As we all know now , the number of people infected during an epidemic rises and then falls — often at specific times of the year .
This happens with or without a heroic response .
So , we can ’ t assume that our efforts caused the drop we ’ re now seeing around the world .
We need a way to separate the result of our efforts from the normal background trend of rise and fall .
For instance , if we see a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions should have triggered a drop off in cases , that ’ s a sign that the measures haven ’ t done much .
New York shows exactly this .
Governor Cuomo ’ s 10-point plan went into effect at 8 pm on March 22 .
That means businesses had to close for the first time on Monday , March 23 .
Cuomo ’ s plan ordered all non-essential businesses to close .
It also cancelled all non-essential gatherings , required people to stay six feet apart , and so forth .
Support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
If these efforts slowed the spread of the virus , we should have seen a major downward bend in a plot of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases .
Since it takes 3 to 10 days for symptoms to appear after the time of infection , we should see this downward bend within the top grey zone in the graph below .
Instead , we see no change in the grey zone for New York .
The downward bend we do see ( roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a result of the 10-point plan because it occurred too early .
Similarly , we see no evidence of a downward bend in the grey zone for California , where Governor Newsom issued a lockdown order on March 19 .
Instead , the infection trend continues upward as if nothing had changed .
Notice that downward trends come eventually in both states , as they always do during epidemics .
These recent trends are happening at the same time in both states , and well after measures should have had their effects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t seem to have noticed mandated measures in either of the two largest states .
That is , in neither state did the mandated shutdowns do much if anything to curtail the spread of COVID-19 .
So , we should not assume similar efforts in other states are causing the decline now happening around the US .
What if we ’ re forcing millions of people to endure great pain , for little gain ?
Douglas Axe is Maxwell Professor of Molecular Biology at Biola University , director of Biologic Institute and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our Intuition That Life Is Designed ( HarperOne ) .
Follow him on Twitter @ DougAxe .

Countries around the world are running the largest real-time social experiment in history. The goal? To stop a historic pandemic in its tracks. Some of the measures to slow the coronavirus are just inconvenient. But others force heroic effort upon millions of people, at huge cost to lives and well-being. Do these efforts match the danger? And, more importantly, do they even work?
The best answer at the moment is: Probably not. We’re not saving millions of lives — because millions of lives weren’t at risk. And our very costly efforts seem to be doing much less good than we had hoped. It would therefore make sense for us to return to normal as soon as we can.
A Test No One Would Want to Conduct
Would many millions have died if the world had not shut itself down? The most scientific way to prove that lockdowns and social distancing work would have been to test them in some places but not in others. Assume there were hundreds of coronavirus cases in all these populations at the start. If the virus ranks among the deadliest pathogens, unprotected groups would suffer huge losses. The outcome in protected peoples would then be a clear sign that the measures worked.
For example, the bubonic plague wiped out nearly half of Europe within the space of four years (1347 to 1351). If a few European countries had done nothing, while others worked to stop the spread, the stark contrast of outcomes would have proven the value of the measures beyond any doubt.
Though no one would run such a test on purpose, the fact that the coronavirus hasn’t caused a huge increase in deaths in any country is telling.
You Can’t Stop a Plague That Doesn’t Exist
Italy, for example, has fared worse than most. Coronavirus infections peaked there two weeks ago. As cases continue to decline, over 20,000 lives have been lost with another 10,000 to come. Each of these deaths is a deep loss to families and friends. The question is whether they’re the sign of a deadly pandemic — that is, a disease that kills a large segment of the general population.
The answer is clearly no. Such a pandemic would kill young and old, healthy and unhealthy in large numbers. Almost all the coronavirus victims in Italy, in contrast, have been old and unhealthy. One report found the mean age at death to be 79.5 years. And nearly all victims have had preexisting health problems, often in combination. Nearly half had three or more underlying diseases.
Bottom line: Our efforts can’t be stopping a plague-like pandemic that kills indiscriminately because there isn’t such a pandemic to be stopped.
Why does that matter? Italy tends to lose about 600,000 people per year, over 40,000 of these to non-cancer respiratory disease. As with coronavirus, most of these are elderly, many with several health problems. The similar profiles suggest that some deaths attributed to coronavirus are being borrowed from other common causes of death. But it will be some time before we can figure out the extent of this overcounting. What’s clear is that 30,000 deaths of mostly elderly people in poor health is not the mark of a historic plague.
Bottom line: Our efforts can’t be stopping a plague-like pandemic that kills indiscriminately because there isn’t such a pandemic to be stopped.
How Can We Tell if our Efforts are Working?
As we all know now, the number of people infected during an epidemic rises and then falls — often at specific times of the year. This happens with or without a heroic response. So, we can’t assume that our efforts caused the drop we’re now seeing around the world.
We need a way to separate the result of our efforts from the normal background trend of rise and fall. For instance, if we see a rate of infection continue even after our actions should have triggered a drop off in cases, that’s a sign that the measures haven’t done much.
Exhibit A: New York
New York shows exactly this. Governor Cuomo’s 10-point plan went into effect at 8 pm on March 22. That means businesses had to close for the first time on Monday, March 23. Cuomo’s plan ordered all non-essential businesses to close. It also cancelled all non-essential gatherings, required people to stay six feet apart, and so forth.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
If these efforts slowed the spread of the virus, we should have seen a major downward bend in a plot of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases. Since it takes 3 to 10 days for symptoms to appear after the time of infection, we should see this downward bend within the top grey zone in the graph below.
Instead, we see no change in the grey zone for New York. The downward bend we do see (roughly at March 21) can’t be a result of the 10-point plan because it occurred too early.
Exhibit B: California
Similarly, we see no evidence of a downward bend in the grey zone for California, where Governor Newsom issued a lockdown order on March 19. Instead, the infection trend continues upward as if nothing had changed. Notice that downward trends come eventually in both states, as they always do during epidemics. These recent trends are happening at the same time in both states, and well after measures should have had their effects.
Bottom line: The coronavirus doesn’t seem to have noticed mandated measures in either of the two largest states.
Bottom line: The coronavirus doesn’t seem to have noticed mandated measures in either of the two largest states.
That is, in neither state did the mandated shutdowns do much if anything to curtail the spread of COVID-19. So, we should not assume similar efforts in other states are causing the decline now happening around the US.
What if we’re forcing millions of people to endure great pain, for little gain?
Douglas Axe is Maxwell Professor of Molecular Biology at Biola University, director of Biologic Institute and author of Undeniable: How Biology Confirms Our Intuition That Life Is Designed (HarperOne). Follow him on Twitter @DougAxe.


thestream--2020-04-15--It’s Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump for the Title

So it ’ s ( quasi ) official .
Joe Biden , or what ’ s left of him , is the Democratic Nominee for President of the United States in 2020 .
Last week , socialist Bernie Sanders finally caved to pressure from the DNC and waved the white flag .
Or was it the Hammer-and-Sickle ?
And on Tuesday , finally , Barack Obama endorsed his vice president .
Obama didn ’ t stay on the sidelines during the primary .
He wasn ’ t even anywhere near the stadium .
Obama had refused to endorse Biden .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had discouraged Biden from running .
He was social distancing from Biden before social distancing was cool .
As President Trump remarked the other day , “ He knows something that you don ’ t know.
” Nonetheless , Barack Obama has pinched his nose and climbed aboard the creaky Joe train .
( Or at least he says he ’ s bought a ticket . )
But is it too late ?
In addition to his endless bouts of mental confusion , Joe Biden has been a whirl of political confusion as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one name he has always remembered , constantly reminding voters he was Obama ’ s # 2 .
Yet more and more as the campaign wore on , Biden embraced the radical agenda of today ’ s Democratic party .
When Joe spoke , AOC ’ s words came out .
Biden was long considered a moderate .
In fact , he began his campaign as “ The Moderate.
” Gov .
Andrew Cuomo didn ’ t get in the race because he ceded the moderate candidate lane to Uncle Joe .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to Bernie they could start in a reboot of Grumpy Old Men .
Or at least that ’ s the case the Trump Campaign is already making .
Check out the video : Even though Biden ’ s telling Sanders he needs his support and will need his help to govern , Joe will try to move back to toward the center .
And having Obama endorse him is one way he ’ ll try .
But he ’ s got three problems : Which gets to the real and obvious problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a shadow of his former self , and in no condition to be running .
And certainly in no condition to execute the punishing office of president .
It brings me no glee to say .
In fact , it makes me angry .
But we can ’ t avoid the fact , Joe Biden is in mental decline .
His every interview , every appearance , indicates a man easily confused , easily lost , repeatedly lost in time and fact .
Diagram his sentences and you have an Escher painting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s as garbled and illogical as an early REM record .
Watch him , and ask , “ Is this someone you trust behind the wheel of a car ?
” Joe Biden is a man drowning and rather than throw him a life-raft to safety and a blissful sunset , his family and staff and party and media are climbing on his back to paddle their way back into power .
It ’ s disgusting .
Biden ’ s clear deterioration isn ’ t the only fire alarm being muffled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wonder .
The media has buried her story deeper than Jimmy Hoffa .
Tara Reade is a former Biden staffer who insists then-Senator Biden cornered her in a stairwell and felt her up .
Now , we want to grant Biden what Democrats and the media refused to grant Brett Kavanaugh : That is , a presumption of innocence .
But Reade ’ s got a story to tell .
She ’ s credible .
Unlike Christine Blasey Ford , it ’ s actually proved that she met the man she ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s got no vested interest and no political agenda .
Unlike Ford , she told people at the time .
And unlike Kavanaugh , Biden ’ s got a history of questionable , offensive behavior toward women .
Also unlike Ford , Reade endured , as National Review noted “ a veritable mainstream media blackout for more than two weeks .
Newspapers didn ’ t acknowledge the accusation .
TV networks didn ’ t ask him about it in interviews.
” The Secret Service couldn ’ t protect Biden the way the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Which gets to what happened this weekend .
The New York Times did finally decided to a “ deep dive ” on Reade ’ s allegations .
This was their original conclusion : “ No other allegation about sexual assault surfaced in the course of reporting , nor did any former Biden staff members corroborate any details of Ms. Reade ’ s allegation , ” the report read .
“ The Times found no pattern of sexual misconduct by Mr. Biden , beyond the hugs , kisses and touching that women previously said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see , folks , … once you discount decades of touchy-feely and hair-sniffing .
Except then Joe Biden ’ s campaign called .
And The New York Times , the once-venerable Grey Lady , caved .
They eliminated the sentence “ beyond the hugs , kisses and touching that women previously said made them uncomfortable.
” Is this because it wasn ’ t true ?
No , it decidedly is true .
They ran away from their own reporting , like it was a stranger on a bus coughing up a virus storm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Too ” …but not for you .
Will this strategy of using and protecting Joe Biden work ?
No .
Bending over backwards to protect a horribly flawed candidate is not going to work against President Trump .
Ask Hillary Clinton .
Remember , in 2016 it wasn ’ t just the media and DNC helping and protecting Hillary Clinton , it was the FBI and Department of Justice as well .
And as we just learned , Russia too .
And Trump beat her .
( Them . )
Soundly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was passed off as a touch of pneumonia .
She was under criminal investigation and Obama ’ s Attorney General insisted it be called an “ inquiry.
” She exposed the nation ’ s most vital secrets to our enemies and Obama said , “ Eh , there are national secrets and then there are national secrets.
” She ’ d left four Americans to die in the Libyan hellhole her policies created , lied to Congress about knowing about weapons transfers to al-Qaeda linked Islamists , and the media spent more time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like schoolchildren about her becoming the first female president .
Still , Trump beat her .
Soundly .
And Biden is no Hillary Clinton .
Hillary ’ s a tough hombre with ruthless ambition .
Biden acts like he ’ d much rather be playing horseshoes in The Villages .
He ’ s got the mental issue , he ’ s got the health issue , he ’ s got the sexual harassment and assault issue , he ’ s got the Green New Deal , he ’ s got abortion on demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he ’ s got American voters paying for the health insurance of illegal immigrants .
Oh , and there ’ s that little matter of blackmailing Ukraine to fire the prosecutor investigating his son ’ s company or else they can kiss a billion sweet bucks goodbye .
Then there ’ s China .
Son Hunter Biden walked away with a billion in Chinese investment dollars after a visit with pops to Beijing .
Last year , Joe Biden denied they were a threat .
When Trump shut off travel from China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden called him xenophobic .
Biden can only be protected for so long .
He can only hide behind friendly media , and super-brief online appearances so much .
Trump ’ s waiting for him .
And after what Trump has been put through for three years , after being told he was an illegitimate president who didn ’ t “ really ” win in 2016 , Trump ’ s got both fists clenched and steam coming out his ears .
( Maybe that ’ s why democrats really don ’ t want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country . )
Joe Biden may finally have Obama ( somewhat ) in his corner , but he ’ s going to have to stand in the ring against a very pumped heavyweight champ .
And he ’ s standing on very wobbly legs .
He may not earn your vote .
But he needs your prayers .
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author , with @ JZmirak , of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration .
You can follow him at @ StreamingAl .
And if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Stream at @ Streamdotorg .

So it’s (quasi) official. Joe Biden, or what’s left of him, is the Democratic Nominee for President of the United States in 2020. Last week, socialist Bernie Sanders finally caved to pressure from the DNC and waved the white flag. Or was it the Hammer-and-Sickle?
And on Tuesday, finally, Barack Obama endorsed his vice president. Obama didn’t stay on the sidelines during the primary. He wasn’t even anywhere near the stadium. Obama had refused to endorse Biden. He had his people leak that he had discouraged Biden from running. He was social distancing from Biden before social distancing was cool.
As President Trump remarked the other day, “He knows something that you don’t know.”
Nonetheless, Barack Obama has pinched his nose and climbed aboard the creaky Joe train. (Or at least he says he’s bought a ticket.)
But is it too late?
Obama Man or Bernie Bro?
In addition to his endless bouts of mental confusion, Joe Biden has been a whirl of political confusion as well. “Barack” is the one name he has always remembered, constantly reminding voters he was Obama’s #2. Yet more and more as the campaign wore on, Biden embraced the radical agenda of today’s Democratic party. When Joe spoke, AOC’s words came out.
Biden was long considered a moderate. In fact, he began his campaign as “The Moderate.” Gov. Andrew Cuomo didn’t get in the race because he ceded the moderate candidate lane to Uncle Joe. And yet, Biden’s moved so close to Bernie they could start in a reboot of Grumpy Old Men. Or at least that’s the case the Trump Campaign is already making. Check out the video:
With Bernie suspending his campaign, it’s clear that the Dem establishment got the candidate they wanted in Sleepy Joe. But Biden & Sanders agree on all the big issues. They are both the same. pic.twitter.com/tMFahze6D6 — Brad Parscale – Text TRUMP to 88022 (@parscale) April 8, 2020
Even though Biden’s telling Sanders he needs his support and will need his help to govern, Joe will try to move back to toward the center. And having Obama endorse him is one way he’ll try. But he’s got three problems:
1) Massive amounts of video out there of him taking stances only socialists and American enemies could love. 2) If he flip flops again, he’s branded a flip-flip-flopper. 3) It takes verbal dexterity to successfully maneuver back toward the center. And if Joe Biden lacks anything these days, he lacks verbal dexterity. What in a Bill Clinton came off as smooth, with Joe Biden will come off as utter confusion.
The Lost Joe Biden
Which gets to the real and obvious problem with nominee Joe Biden: Joe Biden is a shadow of his former self, and in no condition to be running. And certainly in no condition to execute the punishing office of president.
It brings me no glee to say. In fact, it makes me angry. But we can’t avoid the fact, Joe Biden is in mental decline. His every interview, every appearance, indicates a man easily confused, easily lost, repeatedly lost in time and fact. Diagram his sentences and you have an Escher painting. Listen to him, and he’s as garbled and illogical as an early REM record. Watch him, and ask, “Is this someone you trust behind the wheel of a car?”
Joe Biden is a man drowning and rather than throw him a life-raft to safety and a blissful sunset, his family and staff and party and media are climbing on his back to paddle their way back into power. It’s disgusting.
Protecting Creepy Joe
Biden’s clear deterioration isn’t the only fire alarm being muffled.
Ever hear of Tara Reade? Little wonder. The media has buried her story deeper than Jimmy Hoffa. Tara Reade is a former Biden staffer who insists then-Senator Biden cornered her in a stairwell and felt her up. Now, we want to grant Biden what Democrats and the media refused to grant Brett Kavanaugh: That is, a presumption of innocence. But Reade’s got a story to tell. She’s credible. Unlike Christine Blasey Ford, it’s actually proved that she met the man she’s accusing. Unlike Ford, she’s got no vested interest and no political agenda. Unlike Ford, she told people at the time. And unlike Kavanaugh, Biden’s got a history of questionable, offensive behavior toward women.
Also unlike Ford, Reade endured, as National Review noted “a veritable mainstream media blackout for more than two weeks. Newspapers didn’t acknowledge the accusation. TV networks didn’t ask him about it in interviews.” The Secret Service couldn’t protect Biden the way the party and their media partners protect Biden.
Which gets to what happened this weekend. The New York Times did finally decided to a “deep dive” on Reade’s allegations. This was their original conclusion:
“No other allegation about sexual assault surfaced in the course of reporting, nor did any former Biden staff members corroborate any details of Ms. Reade’s allegation,” the report read. “The Times found no pattern of sexual misconduct by Mr. Biden, beyond the hugs, kisses and touching that women previously said made them uncomfortable.”
So nothing to see, folks, … once you discount decades of touchy-feely and hair-sniffing.
Except then Joe Biden’s campaign called. And The New York Times, the once-venerable Grey Lady, caved. They eliminated the sentence “beyond the hugs, kisses and touching that women previously said made them uncomfortable.” Is this because it wasn’t true? No, it decidedly is true.
They ran away from their own reporting, like it was a stranger on a bus coughing up a virus storm. Because of politics. “Me, Too”…but not for you.
2016 Proved Providing Cover Doesn’t Work … Not Against Trump
Will this strategy of using and protecting Joe Biden work? No. Bending over backwards to protect a horribly flawed candidate is not going to work against President Trump. Ask Hillary Clinton. Remember, in 2016 it wasn’t just the media and DNC helping and protecting Hillary Clinton, it was the FBI and Department of Justice as well. And as we just learned, Russia too. And Trump beat her. (Them.) Soundly.
Hillary Clinton had massive seizures and it was passed off as a touch of pneumonia. She was under criminal investigation and Obama’s Attorney General insisted it be called an “inquiry.” She exposed the nation’s most vital secrets to our enemies and Obama said, “Eh, there are national secrets and then there are national secrets.” She’d left four Americans to die in the Libyan hellhole her policies created, lied to Congress about knowing about weapons transfers to al-Qaeda linked Islamists, and the media spent more time reporting on her pantsuits. Or gushing like schoolchildren about her becoming the first female president. Still, Trump beat her. Soundly.
And Biden is no Hillary Clinton. Hillary’s a tough hombre with ruthless ambition. Biden acts like he’d much rather be playing horseshoes in The Villages. He’s got the mental issue, he’s got the health issue, he’s got the sexual harassment and assault issue, he’s got the Green New Deal, he’s got abortion on demand, he’s got open borders, he’s got American voters paying for the health insurance of illegal immigrants. Oh, and there’s that little matter of blackmailing Ukraine to fire the prosecutor investigating his son’s company or else they can kiss a billion sweet bucks goodbye.
Then there’s China. Son Hunter Biden walked away with a billion in Chinese investment dollars after a visit with pops to Beijing. Last year, Joe Biden denied they were a threat. When Trump shut off travel from China at the outset of the pandemic, Biden called him xenophobic.
Biden can only be protected for so long. He can only hide behind friendly media, and super-brief online appearances so much. Trump’s waiting for him. And after what Trump has been put through for three years, after being told he was an illegitimate president who didn’t “really” win in 2016, Trump’s got both fists clenched and steam coming out his ears. (Maybe that’s why democrats really don’t want to ring the bell, opening the country.)
Joe Biden may finally have Obama (somewhat) in his corner, but he’s going to have to stand in the ring against a very pumped heavyweight champ. And he’s standing on very wobbly legs.
He may not earn your vote. But he needs your prayers.
CALL TO ACTION: COVID-19 is causing massive disruptions in life. The Stream’s parent organization, LIFE Outreach International, is helping send a first wave of help. LIFE’s local mission partners are already distributing thousands of surgical masks, gloves and other sanitary supplies to first responders, hospitals and nursing homes. In addition, other partners have focused on distributing as many meals as possible to help those who need food. You can help with these efforts.Click here to donate.
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author, with @JZmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl. And if you aren’t already, please follow The Stream at @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-04-15--Pro-Life Lawmakers Urge Trump to Uphold Regulations on Fetal Tissue Research and Abortion Drugs

Pro-life lawmakers are pushing President Donald Trump ’ s administration to continue to regulate fetal tissue research and to uphold safety regulations on abortion drugs .
Republican Colorado Rep. Doug Lamborn and Republican Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker wrote two letters to the Trump administration calling for continued enforcement of regulations on fetal tissue research .
The move came after more than a dozen House Democrats called on the Trump administration April 6 to remove restrictions on fetal tissue research , saying research using fetal body parts was important for studying coronavirus .
The last thing anyone should be doing during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and advance the left ’ s radical abortion agenda , ” Lamborn said .
“ Life is precious at all stages and any claim to the contrary is unconscionable , ” Lamborn added .
“ We will find a cure for the current coronavirus , but using tissue from aborted babies to do so is unethical and wrong , ” he said .
“ I ’ m thankful that President Trump has taken such a strong stand for life , and I ’ m confident a solution can be found while also maintaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
Republican Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Republican Ohio Rep. Bob Latta also wrote a bicameral letter to Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) Commissioner Stephen Hahn pushing the FDA to uphold the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy ( REMS ) in place for abortion drugs .
Abortion advocates and media outlets , such as The New York Times editorial board , have pushed for the removal of REMS , saying that abortion drugs are “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slammed these calls as “ reckless and dangerous.
” “ The FDA should stand confidently for the protection of women , ” the letter said .
“ Representative Latta and I , with many of our colleagues , believe the FDA must maintain strict enforcement of the REMS for abortion drugs , ” Hyde-Smith said in a statement .
“ With hospitals pushed to their limits by the COVID-19 health emergency , we should minimize , not increase , unrelated pressures on health care providers.
” The Susan B. Anthony List applauded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement that the organization is “ greatly encouraged ” by Wicker , Hyde-Smith , Lamborn and Latta ’ s leadership .
Dannenfelser also said the abortion industries and their allies are exploiting fears surrounding the coronavirus pandemic “ to promote an extreme abortion agenda.
” “ Their calls for the rollback of protective FDA regulations on dangerous chemical abortion drugs , which carry serious risks for women , potentially requiring hospitalization , prove they are willing to endanger not only the health and safety of vulnerable women but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of society , ” Dannenfelser said .
“ Additionally , they insist that unethical experiments involving aborted baby body parts are necessary to find a cure for the coronavirus , ignoring the wide variety of ethical options already available and under development , ” she said .
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 licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Pro-life lawmakers are pushing President Donald Trump’s administration to continue to regulate fetal tissue research and to uphold safety regulations on abortion drugs.
Republican Colorado Rep. Doug Lamborn and Republican Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker wrote two letters to the Trump administration calling for continued enforcement of regulations on fetal tissue research. The move came after more than a dozen House Democrats called on the Trump administration April 6 to remove restrictions on fetal tissue research, saying research using fetal body parts was important for studying coronavirus.
The last thing anyone should be doing during the coronavirus crisis is to “try and advance the left’s radical abortion agenda,” Lamborn said.
“Life is precious at all stages and any claim to the contrary is unconscionable,” Lamborn added.
“We will find a cure for the current coronavirus, but using tissue from aborted babies to do so is unethical and wrong,” he said. “I’m thankful that President Trump has taken such a strong stand for life, and I’m confident a solution can be found while also maintaining the sanctity of life.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Republican Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Republican Ohio Rep. Bob Latta also wrote a bicameral letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn pushing the FDA to uphold the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) in place for abortion drugs.
Abortion advocates and media outlets, such as The New York Times editorial board, have pushed for the removal of REMS, saying that abortion drugs are “very safe.”
The letter to Hahn slammed these calls as “reckless and dangerous.”
“The FDA should stand confidently for the protection of women,” the letter said.
“Representative Latta and I, with many of our colleagues, believe the FDA must maintain strict enforcement of the REMS for abortion drugs,” Hyde-Smith said in a statement. “With hospitals pushed to their limits by the COVID-19 health emergency, we should minimize, not increase, unrelated pressures on health care providers.”
The Susan B. Anthony List applauded the lawmakers’ actions, as SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement that the organization is “greatly encouraged” by Wicker, Hyde-Smith, Lamborn and Latta’s leadership. Dannenfelser also said the abortion industries and their allies are exploiting fears surrounding the coronavirus pandemic “to promote an extreme abortion agenda.”
“Their calls for the rollback of protective FDA regulations on dangerous chemical abortion drugs, which carry serious risks for women, potentially requiring hospitalization, prove they are willing to endanger not only the health and safety of vulnerable women but that of front-line medical personnel and all of society,” Dannenfelser said.
“Additionally, they insist that unethical experiments involving aborted baby body parts are necessary to find a cure for the coronavirus, ignoring the wide variety of ethical options already available and under development,” she said.
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--2020-04-15--Judge Justin Walker for SCOTUS?

Judge Justin Walker for SCOTUS?

It shouldn ’ t be true , but it is : The Supreme Court is the most decisive branch of our government .
It serves as the transmission belt for elites to override the common people .
To impose “ progressive ” revisions of our Constitution ’ s meaning that the left can ’ t quite accomplish via the ballot box .
Just so , the left shoehorned abortion and same sex “ marriage ” into law , then turned them into bludgeons .
Eventually , much of the populace ( hectored by our media and even their employers ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discoveries ” of rights hidden deep between the lines of our founding document .
Now it seems “ extremist ” ( even among Republicans ) to want to repeal same-sex “ marriage , ” the fruit of a 5-4 decision based on ludicrous reasoning , which Chief Justice Roberts warned posed a grave threat to religious freedom .
The court acts without any of the rigmarole , horse-trading , and compromise required in passing laws , you know , legally .
It lets five experts convene in secret and make bold , principled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t like their decisions ?
You ’ re welcome to jump through the infinite number of hoops required to amend the Constitution .
Or leave the country .
Or else to just shut up and get with the program already .
We conservatives need to wake up .
We can ’ t stick with our old rhetoric of rejecting “ activist ” courts , and sticking with precedent .
The courts have already acted , and most of their precedents are terrible .
We need a president and a senate who will stuff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be willing to actively overturn evil , fraudulent precedents .
Start with ( but don ’ t stop at ) Roe v. Wade , Planned Parenthood v. Casey , and Obergefell v. Hodges .
Contrary to Harvard ’ s Adrian Vermeule who openly wants conservatives to flout the Constitution and build up a theocracy , the judges who overturned such bad decisions would not be acting arbitrarily and lawlessly , as the left has .
The real text and context of the Constitution are on our side , in every important case .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that .
America was not founded as a secular , or religiously neutral nation .
It was founded as religiously tolerant but vigorously Protestant .
Read Mark David Hall ’ s brilliant , scholarly book , Did America Have a Christian Founding ?
As Hall notes , all but one or two of our founders were orthodox Protestants , who tolerated the few daffy Deist outliers in their midst .
So if we ’ re in doubt about the meaning of a particular phrase in our founding document ?
Chances are that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orthodox Protestants in that day believed and accepted .
Since there ’ s nothing in the Constitution that ought to offend faithful Catholics , this is good news for me and mine , too .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
Assuming President Trump gets another opportunity to name a Supreme Court justice , we need him to choose carefully .
I argued elsewhere that Judge Amy Comey Barrett , a popular favorite , might not be the best choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to point to someone who very well might be .
U.S. District Court Judge Justin Walker is worth a look .
President Trump has already nominated him for promotion to the D.C. Court of Appeals .
But Walker ’ s recent order in defense of religious liberty ought to catch the president ’ s attention .
As the Daily Caller reported : If you want to be inspired and encouraged , and reminded why President Trump is such a gift to our country , read Walker ’ s order .
Let me quote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yes , the judge is a skillful writer , possessed of a sense of humor .
But more importantly , he writes with passion , with outrage , at a blatant attack on freedom .
Not just any freedom , but the first freedom , that of conscience and the free exercise of faith .
We don ’ t need pallid proceduralists or pedants fighting for us in what ’ s ( alas ) our most important branch of government .
We need partisans of liberty .
Let ’ s read on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America traveled west because west was where they would find what they wanted most , what they needed most : the liberty to worship God according to their conscience .
“ They knew they were pilgrims , ” wrote [ William ] Bradford , “ and looked not much on those things ” left behind , “ but lifted their eyes to heaven , their dearest country and quieted their spirits.
” The Pilgrims were heirs to a long line of persecuted Christians , including some punished with prison or worse for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even longer line of persecuted peoples of more ancient faiths .
And although their notions of tolerance left more than a little to be desired , the Pilgrims understood at least this much : No place , not even the unknown , is worse than any place whose state forbids the exercise of your sincerely held religious beliefs .
America threatens to become such a place , Walker warns .
Walker pauses to note that religious freedom is the root and origin of all other freedoms , since it reaches into the deepest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ends with a ringing passage worthy of any American founding father : The Christians of On Fire , however , owe no one an explanation for why they will gather together this Easter Sunday to celebrate what they believe to be a miracle and a mystery .
True , they can attempt to explain it .
True , they can try to teach .
But to the nonbeliever , the Passion of Jesus – the betrayals , the torture , the state-sponsored murder of God ’ s only Son , and the empty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no sense at all .
And even to the believer , or at least to some of them , it can be incomprehensible as well .
But for the men and women of On Fire , Christ ’ s sacrifice isn ’ t about the logic of this world .
Nor is their Easter Sunday celebration .
The reason they will be there for each other and their Lord is the reason they believe He was and is there for us .
For them , for all believers , “ it isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s a matter of love.
” Our founders used language like this , when they wrote the very documents which guaranteed our freedom .
Compare it to the sophomoric musings of mediocrities like Justice Anthony Kennedy ( for whom Walker once clerked ) , burbling about the “ mystery of existence.
” American freedom rests on love — on love for the human person , made in the image of God .
Because we love him , we respect him , and protect his most basic rights .
I haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole judicial record .
But he ’ s young , vigorous , and the American Bar Association hates him .
So based on this opinion I ’ m tempted to say “ Mr .
President , elevate this judge !
” 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 .

It shouldn’t be true, but it is: The Supreme Court is the most decisive branch of our government. It serves as the transmission belt for elites to override the common people. To impose “progressive” revisions of our Constitution’s meaning that the left can’t quite accomplish via the ballot box. Just so, the left shoehorned abortion and same sex “marriage” into law, then turned them into bludgeons.
Eventually, much of the populace (hectored by our media and even their employers) gets on board with these new “discoveries” of rights hidden deep between the lines of our founding document. Now it seems “extremist” (even among Republicans) to want to repeal same-sex “marriage,” the fruit of a 5-4 decision based on ludicrous reasoning, which Chief Justice Roberts warned posed a grave threat to religious freedom.
Five Philosopher Kings
The court acts without any of the rigmarole, horse-trading, and compromise required in passing laws, you know, legally. It lets five experts convene in secret and make bold, principled decisions. And if you don’t like their decisions? You’re welcome to jump through the infinite number of hoops required to amend the Constitution. Or leave the country. Or else to just shut up and get with the program already.
We conservatives need to wake up. We can’t stick with our old rhetoric of rejecting “activist” courts, and sticking with precedent. The courts have already acted, and most of their precedents are terrible. We need a president and a senate who will stuff the courts with judges. They must be willing to actively overturn evil, fraudulent precedents. Start with (but don’t stop at) Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and Obergefell v. Hodges.
Contrary to Harvard’s Adrian Vermeule who openly wants conservatives to flout the Constitution and build up a theocracy, the judges who overturned such bad decisions would not be acting arbitrarily and lawlessly, as the left has. The real text and context of the Constitution are on our side, in every important case.
America Wasn’t Founded Secular, But Protestant
There’s a very good reason for that. America was not founded as a secular, or religiously neutral nation. It was founded as religiously tolerant but vigorously Protestant. Read Mark David Hall’s brilliant, scholarly book, Did America Have a Christian Founding?
The real text and context of the Constitution are on our side, in every important case.There’s a very good reason for that. America was not founded as a secular, or religiously neutral nation. It was founded as religiously tolerant but vigorously Protestant.
As Hall notes, all but one or two of our founders were orthodox Protestants, who tolerated the few daffy Deist outliers in their midst. So if we’re in doubt about the meaning of a particular phrase in our founding document? Chances are that it will be close to … what orthodox Protestants in that day believed and accepted. Since there’s nothing in the Constitution that ought to offend faithful Catholics, this is good news for me and mine, too.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
The Next SCOTUS Opening
Assuming President Trump gets another opportunity to name a Supreme Court justice, we need him to choose carefully. I argued elsewhere that Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a popular favorite, might not be the best choice. But now I’d like to point to someone who very well might be.
U.S. District Court Judge Justin Walker is worth a look. President Trump has already nominated him for promotion to the D.C. Court of Appeals. But Walker’s recent order in defense of religious liberty ought to catch the president’s attention. As the Daily Caller reported:
A federal judge granted a restraining order against a Kentucky mayor who promised to record the license plates of Easter church goers, calling the order “unconstitutional.” U.S. District Court Judge Justin Walker granted the temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer from blocking Easter drive-in-services at On Fire Church.
Defending Religious Freedom
If you want to be inspired and encouraged, and reminded why President Trump is such a gift to our country, read Walker’s order. Let me quote a few of its best passages.
On Holy Thursday, an American mayor criminalized the communal celebration of Easter. That sentence is one that this Court never expected to see outside the pages of a dystopian novel, or perhaps the pages of The Onion. But two days ago, citing the need for social distancing during the current pandemic, Louisville’s Mayor Greg Fischer ordered Christians not to attend Sunday services, even if they remained in their cars to worship – and even though it’s Easter.
Yes, the judge is a skillful writer, possessed of a sense of humor. But more importantly, he writes with passion, with outrage, at a blatant attack on freedom. Not just any freedom, but the first freedom, that of conscience and the free exercise of faith.
From Before America’s Founding
We don’t need pallid proceduralists or pedants fighting for us in what’s (alas) our most important branch of government. We need partisans of liberty. Let’s read on a bit. The Pilgrims who sailed for America traveled west
because west was where they would find what they wanted most, what they needed most: the liberty to worship God according to their conscience. “They knew they were pilgrims,” wrote [William] Bradford, “and looked not much on those things” left behind, “but lifted their eyes to heaven, their dearest country and quieted their spirits.” The Pilgrims were heirs to a long line of persecuted Christians, including some punished with prison or worse for the crime of celebrating Easter – and an even longer line of persecuted peoples of more ancient faiths. And although their notions of tolerance left more than a little to be desired, the Pilgrims understood at least this much: No place, not even the unknown, is worse than any place whose state forbids the exercise of your sincerely held religious beliefs.
Caesar versus the Church
America threatens to become such a place, Walker warns.
[I]n recent years, an expanding government has made the Free Exercise Clause more important than ever. It was not long ago, for example, that the government told the Supreme Court it can prohibit a church from choosing its own minister; force religious business owners to buy pharmaceuticals they consider abortion-inducing; and conscript nuns to provide birth control. Even after the Supreme Court vacated lower court decisions … the Free Exercise Clause remains a too-often-tested bulwark against discrimination toward people of faith, from religious cakemakers to religious preschoolers.
A Matter of Love
Walker pauses to note that religious freedom is the root and origin of all other freedoms, since it reaches into the deepest places in our souls. And he ends with a ringing passage worthy of any American founding father:
The Christians of On Fire, however, owe no one an explanation for why they will gather together this Easter Sunday to celebrate what they believe to be a miracle and a mystery. True, they can attempt to explain it. True, they can try to teach. But to the nonbeliever, the Passion of Jesus – the betrayals, the torture, the state-sponsored murder of God’s only Son, and the empty tomb on the third day – makes no sense at all. And even to the believer, or at least to some of them, it can be incomprehensible as well. But for the men and women of On Fire, Christ’s sacrifice isn’t about the logic of this world. Nor is their Easter Sunday celebration. The reason they will be there for each other and their Lord is the reason they believe He was and is there for us. For them, for all believers, “it isn’t a matter of reason; finally, it’s a matter of love.”
Our founders used language like this, when they wrote the very documents which guaranteed our freedom. Compare it to the sophomoric musings of mediocrities like Justice Anthony Kennedy (for whom Walker once clerked), burbling about the “mystery of existence.” American freedom rests on love — on love for the human person, made in the image of God. Because we love him, we respect him, and protect his most basic rights.
I haven’t reviewed Judge Walker’s whole judicial record. But he’s young, vigorous, and the American Bar Association hates him. So based on this opinion I’m tempted to say “Mr. President, elevate this judge!”
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.


thestream--2020-04-15--Grief and a Search for Meaning During Coronavirus

“ So many people during this pandemic are [ saying ] , ‘ I don ’ t know why I burst into tears .
I don ’ t know why I have such a heaviness .
I don ’ t know why I ’ m so angry with an edge , ’ and I ’ m like , ‘ it ’ s grief .
You ’ re feeling grief.
’ The world we know and loved has now disappeared.
” David Kessler , author and grief expert and counselor , said people experience grief with a loss , whether that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or even the coronavirus pandemic and our loss of normalcy .
In a podcast earlier this month , Kessler talked about the stages of grief , a search for meaning and facing death .
According to Kessler , there ’ s something called “ the assumptive world.
” People tend to assume that their parents will live long lives , their marriages will be great and their kids will not have problems .
“ And what happens is death ends up interfering with those assumptions .
We don ’ t live in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Death does ruin our illusions , our dreams.
” He continues that people are experiencing grief over the loss of what they thought would be .
He calls it “ anticipatory grief.
” “ What happens in our new modern world with the pandemic is we have anticipatory grief that our mind starts showing us images of , ‘ Oh my goodness , my parents could die , my grandparents could die , I could die.
’ And we have this unhealthy anticipatory grief where our mind is showing us all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his book Man ’ s Search for Meaning , wrote “ When we are no longer able to change a situation , we are challenged to change ourselves.
” Frankl , an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist , was also a Holocaust survivor .
Frankl influenced Kessler to explore meaning — including the meaning of death .
Kessler wrote a book with Elisabeth Kubler Ross , updating her 5 stages of grief to include a 6th .
The stages include denial , anger , bargaining , depression and acceptance .
Support The Stream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
When his son died suddenly a few years ago , he realized that acceptance wasn ’ t enough .
He wanted more .
He wanted meaning .
Kessler began interviewing people who had suffered the loss of a loved one , and saw that they were finding meaning .
Meaning doesn ’ t take away the pain , but it becomes a “ cushion ” for those who ’ ve suffered through loss .
“ Finding meaning ” is the sixth stage of grief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not in the death … I mean there ’ s not meaning in the death , but there ’ s meaning that we can do afterwards to honor them.
” While Kessler rejects the idea that everything happens for a reason , we as Christians have hope and trust that God has a plan for our lives , and our deaths .
Our hope is in Jesus .
Our hope is in the promise of eternal life .
First Corinthians 15:42b says , “ The body that is sown is perishable , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ meaning making ” to the pandemic by recognizing meaningful moments .
Recognizing those moments will allow people to end up with “ posttraumatic growth.
” “ The front yards are full of parents playing with their children because their children can ’ t have play dates with other children .
Those are meaningful moments FaceTiming with people .
Those are meaningful moments .
So many of these moments can be so meaningful.
” But here again , Kessler misses the heart of the story , the most important part , the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come from moments , although moments can be precious .
Meaning comes from who we are in Christ .
As Christians , we are children of God ( John 1:12 ) .
Our personhood is complete when Christ lives in us ( Colossians 2:9-10 ) .
Making meaning of the pandemic we can say that God is in control , whether we live or whether we die ( Luke 12:22-26 ; Romans 8:11 ; Philippians 1:21 ) .
And making meaning after the loss of a loved one means we have hope that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see them again .
The Essence of Our Hope In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 , Paul tells Christians we do not grieve like those who have no hope .
Jesus will bring all those who have died in Christ to Heaven .
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven , with a loud command , with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God , and the dead in Christ will rise first .
After that , we who are still alive and are left will be caught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet the Lord in the air .
And so we will be with the Lord forever .
“ Therefore , ” he wrote , “ encourage one another with these words.
” Our hope is not in vain .
Our souls do not die with our body .
Although we do not hurry toward death , we do not fear it either .
Our circumstances are held in God ’ s hands .
Even through grief , do not grieve as though there is no hope .
There is .
His name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

“So many people during this pandemic are [saying], ‘I don’t know why I burst into tears. I don’t know why I have such a heaviness. I don’t know why I’m so angry with an edge,’ and I’m like, ‘it’s grief. You’re feeling grief.’ The world we know and loved has now disappeared.”
David Kessler, author and grief expert and counselor, said people experience grief with a loss, whether that is loss due to death or divorce or even the coronavirus pandemic and our loss of normalcy. In a podcast earlier this month, Kessler talked about the stages of grief, a search for meaning and facing death.
The Assumptive World and Anticipatory Grief
According to Kessler, there’s something called “the assumptive world.” People tend to assume that their parents will live long lives, their marriages will be great and their kids will not have problems. “And what happens is death ends up interfering with those assumptions. We don’t live in a perfect world anymore,” He explained. “Death does ruin our illusions, our dreams.”
He continues that people are experiencing grief over the loss of what they thought would be. He calls it “anticipatory grief.”
“What happens in our new modern world with the pandemic is we have anticipatory grief that our mind starts showing us images of, ‘Oh my goodness, my parents could die, my grandparents could die, I could die.’ And we have this unhealthy anticipatory grief where our mind is showing us all the worst scenarios.”
Finding Meaning
Viktor Frankl, in his book Man’s Search for Meaning, wrote “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist, was also a Holocaust survivor. Frankl influenced Kessler to explore meaning — including the meaning of death. Kessler wrote a book with Elisabeth Kubler Ross, updating her 5 stages of grief to include a 6th. The stages include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
When his son died suddenly a few years ago, he realized that acceptance wasn’t enough. He wanted more. He wanted meaning. Kessler began interviewing people who had suffered the loss of a loved one, and saw that they were finding meaning. Meaning doesn’t take away the pain, but it becomes a “cushion” for those who’ve suffered through loss. “Finding meaning” is the sixth stage of grief. “The meaning we find is not in the death … I mean there’s not meaning in the death, but there’s meaning that we can do afterwards to honor them.”
While Kessler rejects the idea that everything happens for a reason, we as Christians have hope and trust that God has a plan for our lives, and our deaths. Our hope is in Jesus. Our hope is in the promise of eternal life. First Corinthians 15:42b says, “The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable.”
Applying ‘Meaning Making’ to the Pandemic
People can apply “meaning making” to the pandemic by recognizing meaningful moments. Recognizing those moments will allow people to end up with “posttraumatic growth.”
“The front yards are full of parents playing with their children because their children can’t have play dates with other children. Those are meaningful moments FaceTiming with people. Those are meaningful moments. So many of these moments can be so meaningful.”
But here again, Kessler misses the heart of the story, the most important part, the most important Person. Meaning doesn’t come from moments, although moments can be precious. Meaning comes from who we are in Christ. As Christians, we are children of God (John 1:12). Our personhood is complete when Christ lives in us (Colossians 2:9-10). Making meaning of the pandemic we can say that God is in control, whether we live or whether we die (Luke 12:22-26; Romans 8:11; Philippians 1:21). And making meaning after the loss of a loved one means we have hope that they are with Christ and we will see them again.
The Essence of Our Hope
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul tells Christians we do not grieve like those who have no hope. Jesus will bring all those who have died in Christ to Heaven.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
“Therefore,” he wrote, “encourage one another with these words.” Our hope is not in vain. Our souls do not die with our body. Although we do not hurry toward death, we do not fear it either.
Our circumstances are held in God’s hands. Even through grief, do not grieve as though there is no hope. There is. His name is Jesus.
CALL TO ACTION: COVID-19 is causing massive disruptions in life. The Stream’s parent organization, LIFE Outreach International, is helping send a first wave of help. LIFE’s local mission partners are already distributing thousands of surgical masks, gloves and other sanitary supplies to first responders, hospitals and nursing homes. In addition, other partners have focused on distributing as many meals as possible to help those who need food. You can help with these efforts.Click here to donate.
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-04-15--Christian Singer Lauren Daigle’s Lived Through a Quarantine Before — and Came Out Loving Music

When Christian singer and songwriter Lauren Daigle was 15 years old , she was diagnosed with cytomegalovirus .
The illness kept her at home and in isolation — in quarantine — for about two years .
Daigle ’ s mom tried to keep her daughter from slipping into depression and paid for voice lessons .
“ And I fell in love , it became my healing , ” the “ You Say ” songwriter told Z100 Studios last year .
“ From that space , that ’ s where those songs come from .
I feel like that experience , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just those two years.
” Lauren ’ s advice from last year rings especially true now , as we all are in this period of isolation during the coronavirus outbreak .
“ What you think might overcome you , is actually just the place you ’ re supposed to launch from.
” COVID-19 is causing massive disruptions in life .
The Stream ’ s parent organization , LIFE Outreach International , is helping send a first wave of help .
LIFE ’ s local mission partners are already distributing thousands of surgical masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first responders , hospitals and nursing homes .
In addition , other partners have focused on distributing as many meals as possible to help those who need food .
You can help with these efforts.Click here to donate .
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

When Christian singer and songwriter Lauren Daigle was 15 years old, she was diagnosed with cytomegalovirus. The illness kept her at home and in isolation — in quarantine — for about two years.
Daigle’s mom tried to keep her daughter from slipping into depression and paid for voice lessons. “And I fell in love, it became my healing,” the “You Say” songwriter told Z100 Studios last year. “From that space, that’s where those songs come from. I feel like that experience, I could live a lifetime off of just those two years.”
Lauren’s advice from last year rings especially true now, as we all are in this period of isolation during the coronavirus outbreak. “What you think might overcome you, is actually just the place you’re supposed to launch from.”
Watch:
CALL TO ACTION: COVID-19 is causing massive disruptions in life. The Stream’s parent organization, LIFE Outreach International, is helping send a first wave of help. LIFE’s local mission partners are already distributing thousands of surgical masks, gloves and other sanitary supplies to first responders, hospitals and nursing homes. In addition, other partners have focused on distributing as many meals as possible to help those who need food. You can help with these efforts.Click here to donate.
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-04-15--Senator Tim Scott Discusses Cost of COVID-19 Relief, Restarting US Economy

Only weeks ago , Senator Tim Scott , R-S.C. , weighed whether to support the most expensive legislation ever brought before Congress .
When faced with whether to vote yea or nay on the Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security Act , or CARES Act , on March 25 — price tag of $ 2.2 trillion dollars — he said he discussed one question with his conservative colleagues .
“ Is there a better and more effective path to stabilizing this nation from falling off of a financial cliff ?
” recounted Scott in a phone interview on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no.
” The bill passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 96-0 .
President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on March 27 .
Three economic stimulus bills designed to provide relief related to negative COVID-19 economic impacts have currently been enacted .
A “ phase four ” relief bill is now being proposed — with party leaders diverging on where further funding should be directed .
Speaking from his office in Charleston , S.C. , Scott shared his views on how the relief bills will help restart the economy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the innovative strategy he has worked on with President Trump to jump-start job growth .
Things have been moving fast in Congress on these coronavirus-related bills .
Could you describe the three relief bills that have already been enacted as law ?
Senator Tim Scott : Phase one and phase two really sought to provide temporary and targeted relief to folks who have been impacted negatively by the virus .
Phase two established new guidelines as it relates to paid leave as well as family medical leave being expanded .
It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are on Medicaid and provide food stability .
Phase three was much larger — a $ 2.2 trillion dollar mammoth .
It passed unanimously in both houses .
The goal was three basic tranches .
One was for large or mid-sized businesses .
We put about $ 500 billion dollars into something called a commercial paper facility , which basically means mid-sized businesses and larger can receive access to financial assistance — loans , not grants , so they have to be paid back .
The second part of that [ phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small businesses .
Half of America works for a small business .
We wanted to make sure that we protected paychecks and kept people employed and not in the unemployment line .
We put $ 350 billion dollars into that program .
The third area is the direct assistance area , which would include the unemployment benefits that are made available ; the federal government enhanced state benefits by $ 600 per week for 16 weeks .
In addition to that , we have included $ 1,200 per person .
Should conservatives be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost of these enacted economic stimulus bills , as well as oversight issues ?
Scott : No doubt , our national debt is looming and we could see that as a vulnerability .
It ’ s a resourcing issue : how do we fund this relief and tackle the debt in the aftermath of it ?
The first question I asked myself as well as my conservative colleagues was : Is there a better and more effective path to stabilizing this nation from falling off of a financial cliff ?
The answer was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 96 to zero , with four senators in quarantine because of the pandemic .
The second question we ask ourselves is : As we look to the future , how do we wrestle with the debt that is being created ?
What is the answer to that second question ?
Scott : The fastest way for us to wrestle with that debt has been to grow our economy .
What we saw as a result of the 2017 tax cuts was more revenue , not less revenue coming into our Treasury .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where we had the lowest unemployment rates ever , basically .
And then we saw the lowest unemployment rates for every sector of the economy and every demographic in our nation .
If we ’ re going to tackle the debt in the aftermath of this pandemic , we ’ ll have to do two things .
Number one , we ’ re going to have to tackle it by stimulating economic activity .
When we came in from the Obama years , if we were able to increase by 0.5 % the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to about $ 800 billion dollars of relief from our national debt , I believe the number was .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
As we continue to see growth over 1.9 % — which we have had for all three years of the current administration — we will be in a position to see the debt fall precipitously .
And the other thing we ’ ll have to do is to manage better our entitlement state , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending .
Looking at the situation in your home state of South Carolina , public health officials are closely tracking COVID-19 cases and related deaths .
Do you view this crisis as a pro-life issue ?
Scott : I certainly see the correlation in that concept .
There ’ s no question that there is an opportunity for us to wrestle with how to save lives through the protocols established by our governor .
Recently , he issued a stay at home ordinance , and that is going to save lives .
From @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do to proactively reduce the mortality rate is follow those protocols and we ’ ll find ourselves in better shape .
We ’ ve all heard Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx state the estimate of 120 to 240 thousand lives that could be lost to this virus .
But when I spoke to them both recently , they said that curve can be bent .
In other words , we can flatten the curve even more and lose fewer lives if we practice the social distancing protocols : washing our hands , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sneeze or cough into a cloth .
These are things that actually will save lives .
And if we do so , that will be one of the victories from a pro-life perspective .
Recent reports indicate that COVID-19 affects African Americans more severely than people of other ethnic backgrounds .
What are the facts on this issue , and have you been raising it to the White House ?
Scott : I had a great conversation with the administration on this very topic a couple of days ago .
We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks ahead with minority leaders .
The one clear red-hot spot that I saw in the map was really not in America .
It was , frankly , from Italy .
Among the Italians , 76 percent of the folks who died had the underlying morbidity of high blood pressure .
In America , those who have the highest incidence of high blood pressure are people in the African American community , followed by the Hispanic community and Native Americans .
Add on top of that asthma , literally the same two co-morbidity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly that that correlation is true , whether you ’ re Chinese or you ’ re Italian or whether you ’ re black in America .
In this nation , the highest concentrations of those co-morbidities that lead to death are found in African Americans .
And I ’ m quite thankful that the president has been serious about tackling this issue head-on .
To draw from your book Unified , why is it important for conservatives to seriously grapple with these issues of racial injustice and race-based economic disparities ?
Scott : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , it ’ s good for the country .
One of the benefits of writing that book with Trey Gowdy was we got to know each other far better and share intimate knowledge of who we are .
We learned how we are different and how , frankly , 95 percent of the time , we are very much the same .
When conservatives lead on the issues of race and equality , what you ’ ll find is you ’ ll have better solutions that work for everyone .
The beauty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll find this in my new book , Opportunity Knocks — is that it works for everyone .
Anyone from anywhere at any time can achieve the American dream .
And when conservatives lead , if that concept of the invisible hand empowers each person to be a part of the decision-making apparatus in our country , that is the fastest way to grow the pie .
You ’ ve championed a novel strategy to jumpstart job growth “ without burning money ” as you state in Opportunity Knocks .
Could you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president and I worked on this issue together .
We found that , by deferring capital gains tax , people would be willing to make a long-term investment in some of the most distressed communities in the country .
By doing so , we have seen increases in wages in the opportunity zones and certainly increases in property values .
Said differently , we ’ re closing the gap between the haves and the have-nots .
We ’ ve seen this great employment strategy start putting fruit on the vines .
As an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from many sides which has intensified during this election season .
How are you able to respond with civility in this environment ?
Scott : There is no bigger reason and no better reason for me to respond with love than to remember Matthew 5:44 , which says , “ Love your enemies , and pray for those who persecute you.
” In Opportunity Knocks , you ’ ll read a few stories of that Matthew 5:44 response because I have had to live it .
That can be a painful process , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ultimately , it ’ s the Romans 8:28 impact or effect , which says : “ God works for the good of those who love Him.
” God takes what the enemy meant for bad and he turns it into part of a praise story .
A graduate of the University of Colorado , Josh M. Shepherd covers culture , faith , and public policy issues for media outlets including The Stream and The Federalist .
Find him on Twitter and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .
Explore The Stream ’ s complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive top stories every week .

Only weeks ago, Senator Tim Scott, R-S.C., weighed whether to support the most expensive legislation ever brought before Congress.
When faced with whether to vote yea or nay on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, on March 25 — price tag of $2.2 trillion dollars — he said he discussed one question with his conservative colleagues.
“Is there a better and more effective path to stabilizing this nation from falling off of a financial cliff?” recounted Scott in a phone interview on Thursday. “The answer was simply no.”
The bill passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 96-0. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on March 27.
Three economic stimulus bills designed to provide relief related to negative COVID-19 economic impacts have currently been enacted. A “phase four” relief bill is now being proposed — with party leaders diverging on where further funding should be directed.
Speaking from his office in Charleston, S.C., Scott shared his views on how the relief bills will help restart the economy. He also addressed the current COVID-19 situation and the innovative strategy he has worked on with President Trump to jump-start job growth.
High Cost of Tackling A Pandemic
Things have been moving fast in Congress on these coronavirus-related bills. Could you describe the three relief bills that have already been enacted as law?
Senator Tim Scott: Phase one and phase two really sought to provide temporary and targeted relief to folks who have been impacted negatively by the virus. Phase two established new guidelines as it relates to paid leave as well as family medical leave being expanded. It also increased or enhanced benefits to assist folks who are on Medicaid and provide food stability.
Phase three was much larger — a $2.2 trillion dollar mammoth. It passed unanimously in both houses. The goal was three basic tranches. One was for large or mid-sized businesses. We put about $500 billion dollars into something called a commercial paper facility, which basically means mid-sized businesses and larger can receive access to financial assistance — loans, not grants, so they have to be paid back.
The second part of that [phase three] bill has to do with small businesses. Half of America works for a small business. We wanted to make sure that we protected paychecks and kept people employed and not in the unemployment line. We put $350 billion dollars into that program.
How big is the Senate's coronavirus rescue plan? @usatgraphics needed the full cover of @USATODAY to fit the chart. https://t.co/J34v0esOlA — Javier Zarracina (@JZarracina) March 26, 2020
The third area is the direct assistance area, which would include the unemployment benefits that are made available; the federal government enhanced state benefits by $600 per week for 16 weeks. In addition to that, we have included $1,200 per person.
Should conservatives be concerned about the $2.3 trillion combined cost of these enacted economic stimulus bills, as well as oversight issues?
Scott: No doubt, our national debt is looming and we could see that as a vulnerability. It’s a resourcing issue: how do we fund this relief and tackle the debt in the aftermath of it?
The first question I asked myself as well as my conservative colleagues was: Is there a better and more effective path to stabilizing this nation from falling off of a financial cliff? The answer was simply no — by a vote of 96 to zero, with four senators in quarantine because of the pandemic.
The second question we ask ourselves is: As we look to the future, how do we wrestle with the debt that is being created?
Saving Lives — And the American Dream
What is the answer to that second question?
Scott: The fastest way for us to wrestle with that debt has been to grow our economy. What we saw as a result of the 2017 tax cuts was more revenue, not less revenue coming into our Treasury. We saw our economy catch on fire, where we had the lowest unemployment rates ever, basically. And then we saw the lowest unemployment rates for every sector of the economy and every demographic in our nation.
If we’re going to tackle the debt in the aftermath of this pandemic, we’ll have to do two things. Number one, we’re going to have to tackle it by stimulating economic activity. When we came in from the Obama years, if we were able to increase by 0.5% the growth of our GDP, that led to about $800 billion dollars of relief from our national debt, I believe the number was.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
As we continue to see growth over 1.9% — which we have had for all three years of the current administration — we will be in a position to see the debt fall precipitously. And the other thing we’ll have to do is to manage better our entitlement state, which accounts for 68 percent of all government spending.
Looking at the situation in your home state of South Carolina, public health officials are closely tracking COVID-19 cases and related deaths. Do you view this crisis as a pro-life issue?
Scott: I certainly see the correlation in that concept. There’s no question that there is an opportunity for us to wrestle with how to save lives through the protocols established by our governor. Recently, he issued a stay at home ordinance, and that is going to save lives. From the life perspective, what we can do to proactively reduce the mortality rate is follow those protocols and we’ll find ourselves in better shape.
We’ve all heard Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx state the estimate of 120 to 240 thousand lives that could be lost to this virus. But when I spoke to them both recently, they said that curve can be bent. In other words, we can flatten the curve even more and lose fewer lives if we practice the social distancing protocols: washing our hands, not touching our faces, and making sure to sneeze or cough into a cloth. These are things that actually will save lives. And if we do so, that will be one of the victories from a pro-life perspective.
The Land of Opportunity
Recent reports indicate that COVID-19 affects African Americans more severely than people of other ethnic backgrounds. What are the facts on this issue, and have you been raising it to the White House?
Scott: I had a great conversation with the administration on this very topic a couple of days ago. We are doing calls this week and in the weeks ahead with minority leaders.
The one clear red-hot spot that I saw in the map was really not in America. It was, frankly, from Italy. Among the Italians, 76 percent of the folks who died had the underlying morbidity of high blood pressure. In America, those who have the highest incidence of high blood pressure are people in the African American community, followed by the Hispanic community and Native Americans. Add on top of that asthma, literally the same two co-morbidity issues in Italy.
We find very quickly that that correlation is true, whether you’re Chinese or you’re Italian or whether you’re black in America. In this nation, the highest concentrations of those co-morbidities that lead to death are found in African Americans. And I’m quite thankful that the president has been serious about tackling this issue head-on.
To draw from your book Unified, why is it important for conservatives to seriously grapple with these issues of racial injustice and race-based economic disparities?
Scott: Well, at the end of the day, it’s good for the country.
One of the benefits of writing that book with Trey Gowdy was we got to know each other far better and share intimate knowledge of who we are. We learned how we are different and how, frankly, 95 percent of the time, we are very much the same. When conservatives lead on the issues of race and equality, what you’ll find is you’ll have better solutions that work for everyone.
The beauty of the American dream — and you’ll find this in my new book, Opportunity Knocks — is that it works for everyone. Anyone from anywhere at any time can achieve the American dream. And when conservatives lead, if that concept of the invisible hand empowers each person to be a part of the decision-making apparatus in our country, that is the fastest way to grow the pie.
You’ve championed a novel strategy to jumpstart job growth “without burning money” as you state in Opportunity Knocks. Could you explain opportunity zones?
Scott: The president and I worked on this issue together. We found that, by deferring capital gains tax, people would be willing to make a long-term investment in some of the most distressed communities in the country. By doing so, we have seen increases in wages in the opportunity zones and certainly increases in property values.
Said differently, we’re closing the gap between the haves and the have-nots. We’ve seen this great employment strategy start putting fruit on the vines.
Faith During Election Season
As an elected public official, you face criticism from many sides which has intensified during this election season. How are you able to respond with civility in this environment?
Scott: There is no bigger reason and no better reason for me to respond with love than to remember Matthew 5:44, which says, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”
In Opportunity Knocks, you’ll read a few stories of that Matthew 5:44 response because I have had to live it. That can be a painful process, but it always leads to good.
Ultimately, it’s the Romans 8:28 impact or effect, which says: “God works for the good of those who love Him.” God takes what the enemy meant for bad and he turns it into part of a praise story.
A graduate of the University of Colorado, Josh M. Shepherd covers culture, faith, and public policy issues for media outlets including The Stream and The Federalist. Find him on Twitter and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.
Explore The Stream’s complete coronavirus coverage, and sign up to receive top stories every week.


thestream--2020-04-15--Military Photo of the Day: Say Cheese!

Military Photo of the Day: Say Cheese!

New Jersey Air National Guard airmen stand for portraits during the buildup of a field medical station at the Atlantic @ @ @ @ @ City , New Jersey , on April 9 , 2020 .
Thank you for your @ @ @ @ @ The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And @ @ @

New Jersey Air National Guard airmen stand for portraits during the buildup of a field medical station at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on April 9, 2020.
Thank you for your service, heroes!
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.