thestream--2020-05-11--I Agree, Gov. Cuomo: Human Life is Priceless

The other day , Andrew Cuomo reminded me how much I miss people-watching .
Early on in this quarantine season , you would see people referencing this as an “ introvert ’ s paradise.
” First of all , don ’ t make assumptions ; your favorite introvert may benefit from a check-in .
This introvert unexpectedly misses crowds — one of the last things I would have ever thought I had a fondness for .
But think for a moment about what a day in New York City looks like .
A midday walk from Mass at St. Patrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s offices , only a few blocks away , brings encounters with all kinds of humanity .
There are people carrying bags from stores many of us wouldn ’ t even bother walking into , knowing there ’ s nothing we could afford .
There are people rushing .
There are counterterrorism police patrolling , including in the church .
There are tourists stopping in the middle of the street to take selfies .
There is Tabby , who always claims that squashed gluten-free fig bars are her favorite , when that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my purse .
There are men delivering catering and coffee .
Whenever you make eye contact , it ’ s hard not to realize this is a person with a biography , with concerns and dreams and sacrifices and joy and pain .
Sometimes you can tell the pain is outweighing the joy .
Other times , their joy might be contagious , even just passing by .
Of course , most people are somewhere else , with headphones on or behind screens .
The Value of Human Life Pope Francis has talked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find something to numb us because otherwise , we don ’ t know how to handle the drama of life .
This is why one of the chief mistakes of this time is not considering religion “ essential.
” I ’ m not saying we should rush to have St. Pat ’ s at full capacity , but let ’ s at least make a statement about who we are — people whose lives are gifts , creations of a Creator .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Our Day .
Maybe inadvertently , the governor of New York stumbled on all of this during a recent press conference about the slow reopening of things .
He asked rhetorically , “ How much is a human life worth ?
… That is the real discussion that no one is admitting , openly or freely .
… I say the cost of a human life , a human life is priceless .
Period.
” Although we have stopped so much of our regular activity to protect vulnerable human life , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about some grave mistakes involving nursing homes .
And what about the abortion clinics that remain open ?
What about the fact that only last year , Cuomo expanded legal abortion in New York ?
Just last spring , he talked about his support for legalizing assisted suicide in the state , and New York recently legalized paid surrogacy there .
While we all wish Anderson Cooper well — a new father by surrogacy — there was a coalition of pro-lifers and liberal feminists who opposed this move in the Empire State , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrogacy can make mainstream .
The Sisters of Life have their home base in New York , and their existence is about giving people confidence that their lives are priceless .
You and I can ’ t convey that pricelessness to everyone in the world , but we can try in our everyday encounters .
And we can insist on an end to the inconsistencies .
It ’ s a good thing that people want pro-lifers to be consistent , but how about pro-choicers , too ?
How about an end to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these quarantine times , the Sisters of Life continue to be approached by pregnant women who feel like they don ’ t have a choice — that the pressures in their lives are too great to go through with their pregnancies .
This is not health care or freedom they are experiencing ; it is a miserable culture of death .
Let ’ s start connecting some dots here , openly and freely .
Thank you , Gov .
Cuomo , for getting the discussion going .
New York has been dubbed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Let ’ s make a change for life .
Let ’ s give your words meaning and transformative power .
Kathryn Jean Lopez is senior fellow at the National Review Institute , editor-at-large of National Review magazine and author of the new book A Year With the Mystics : Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living .
She is also chair of Cardinal Dolan ’ s pro-life commission in New York .
She can be contacted at klopez @ nationalreview.com .

The other day, Andrew Cuomo reminded me how much I miss people-watching.
Early on in this quarantine season, you would see people referencing this as an “introvert’s paradise.” First of all, don’t make assumptions; your favorite introvert may benefit from a check-in. This introvert unexpectedly misses crowds — one of the last things I would have ever thought I had a fondness for.
All Kinds of Humanity
But think for a moment about what a day in New York City looks like. A midday walk from Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral to National Review’s offices, only a few blocks away, brings encounters with all kinds of humanity. There are people carrying bags from stores many of us wouldn’t even bother walking into, knowing there’s nothing we could afford. There are people rushing. There are counterterrorism police patrolling, including in the church. There are tourists stopping in the middle of the street to take selfies. There is Tabby, who always claims that squashed gluten-free fig bars are her favorite, when that’s all I have to offer from my purse. There are men delivering catering and coffee.
Whenever you make eye contact, it’s hard not to realize this is a person with a biography, with concerns and dreams and sacrifices and joy and pain. Sometimes you can tell the pain is outweighing the joy. Other times, their joy might be contagious, even just passing by. Of course, most people are somewhere else, with headphones on or behind screens.
The Value of Human Life
Pope Francis has talked about the epidemic of anesthetization. We find something to numb us because otherwise, we don’t know how to handle the drama of life. This is why one of the chief mistakes of this time is not considering religion “essential.” I’m not saying we should rush to have St. Pat’s at full capacity, but let’s at least make a statement about who we are — people whose lives are gifts, creations of a Creator.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Maybe inadvertently, the governor of New York stumbled on all of this during a recent press conference about the slow reopening of things. He asked rhetorically, “How much is a human life worth? … That is the real discussion that no one is admitting, openly or freely. … I say the cost of a human life, a human life is priceless. Period.”
End the Inconsistencies
Although we have stopped so much of our regular activity to protect vulnerable human life, what about the inconsistencies? We are learning about some grave mistakes involving nursing homes. And what about the abortion clinics that remain open? What about the fact that only last year, Cuomo expanded legal abortion in New York? Just last spring, he talked about his support for legalizing assisted suicide in the state, and New York recently legalized paid surrogacy there. While we all wish Anderson Cooper well — a new father by surrogacy — there was a coalition of pro-lifers and liberal feminists who opposed this move in the Empire State, pointing to the exploitation of women that surrogacy can make mainstream.
The Sisters of Life have their home base in New York, and their existence is about giving people confidence that their lives are priceless. You and I can’t convey that pricelessness to everyone in the world, but we can try in our everyday encounters. And we can insist on an end to the inconsistencies. It’s a good thing that people want pro-lifers to be consistent, but how about pro-choicers, too? How about an end to the euphemisms, for a start?
A Culture of Death
During these quarantine times, the Sisters of Life continue to be approached by pregnant women who feel like they don’t have a choice — that the pressures in their lives are too great to go through with their pregnancies. This is not health care or freedom they are experiencing; it is a miserable culture of death.
Let’s start connecting some dots here, openly and freely. Thank you, Gov. Cuomo, for getting the discussion going. New York has been dubbed the “abortion capital of the world.” Let’s make a change for life. Let’s give your words meaning and transformative power.
Kathryn Jean Lopez is senior fellow at the National Review Institute, editor-at-large of National Review magazine and author of the new book A Year With the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living. She is also chair of Cardinal Dolan’s pro-life commission in New York. She can be contacted at [email protected].


thestream--2020-05-11--To Those Who Hate the Church: Be Careful What You Despise

As a result of the current lockdown , we have learned how little some elected officials think of the local church .
Liquor stores offer essential services .
Churches do not .
Abortion clinics must keep their doors open .
Church buildings must keep their doors closed .
In short , we can do just fine without the church .
This attitude goes hand in hand with the increasing animosity in America towards Christian faith in general , with many resenting the church ’ s tax exempt status .
In the eyes of the critics , these churches and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , aided and abetted by the laws of the nation .
And many say it is high time for this to stop .
To those who denigrate or even despise the role of the church in society , I offer you a strong word of caution : be careful what you belittle ( or hate ) .
The church is doing far more good than you can imagine .
This is What Churches Do It ’ s easy to point to some extravagantly rich TV preacher , but that person is as common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bird .
The vast majority of pastors are overworked and underpaid .
They do what they do out of love for God and love for people .
That means people in your community .
People with needs and challenges .
The church is there to help meet those needs .
To provide free marital counseling .
To provide free programs for children and youth .
To provide free classes for recovering addicts .
That is what churches do .
During this time of shutdown , many churches are providing food for needy families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( by now , probably millions ) across the nation on a weekly basis .
That is what churches do .
Who do you think runs many of the local soup kitchens ?
Helps supply the food banks ?
Gets involved in schools to mentor underprivileged youth ?
Volunteers at the hospitals ?
That is what churches do .
Take away the influence of the church in a given location , and a real hole will be left in terms of acts of compassionate service .
Take away the influence of the church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real hole will be left in terms of faith and hope and inspiration and encouragement .
The last thing America needs is a diminished and weakened church .
This also holds true when it comes to morality , although those who hate the church will mock me for even saying this .
But God ’ s people are called to be a restraining influence against evil .
A voice advocating for good .
A moral conscience to a sinning world .
In the words of Jesus , we are called to be salt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to function in that way , moral deterioration accelerates .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
To be sure , we have often been our own worst enemy .
We have been hypocritical .
We have been riddled by sexual and financial scandals .
We have engaged in partisan politics .
And more .
That ’ s why it doesn ’ t surprise me greatly that a 2018 Gallup poll indicated that “ the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low in 2018.
” Yes , “ Fewer than half of American Christians ( 42 % ) believe clergy have ‘ high ’ or ‘ very high ’ standards of honesty and ethics .
.
.
.
Self-identified Christians were about as likely to rate clergy ’ s ethical standards as just average ( 43 % ) , and about 1 in 10 ( 12 % ) considered them ‘ low ’ or ‘ very low.
’ ” It would appear , then , that the very bad reputation of the few has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as I feel confident that the average , committed church-goer thinks much more highly of his or her pastor than this survey would indicate .
But we must also factor in the hostility of the left towards conservative Christian ministries .
This was put on grand display with New York City ’ s treatment of Samaritan ’ s Purse , as Christian healthcare workers labored sacrificially , day and night , only to be told by elected officials and others that they were not welcome because of their Christian beliefs .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the left ’ s relationship to Bible-believing churches .
The hostile society despises and rejects them to its own detriment .
And that reminds of an old story about a famously rich and infamously miserly Jewish man who lived in a town in Europe .
Every year , the local synagogues would send requests to him for financial help for the poor , and every year , he would gruffly refuse .
Naturally , he was judged harshly by others in his town .
“ He has so much money but he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” After he passed away , there was a sudden drop in financial support for the poor , and the leaders could not figure it out .
It was only then that they learned that this rich Jewish man had been incredibly generous , responsible for large , anonymous donations every year .
But he was so determined not to get any earthly credit for it that he pretended to be a miser .
It was only after he was gone that the community realized the vital role he played .
Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

As a result of the current lockdown, we have learned how little some elected officials think of the local church. Liquor stores offer essential services. Churches do not. Abortion clinics must keep their doors open. Church buildings must keep their doors closed. In short, we can do just fine without the church.
This attitude goes hand in hand with the increasing animosity in America towards Christian faith in general, with many resenting the church’s tax exempt status.
In the eyes of the critics, these churches and their leaders are getting rich off the people, aided and abetted by the laws of the nation. And many say it is high time for this to stop.
To those who denigrate or even despise the role of the church in society, I offer you a strong word of caution: be careful what you belittle (or hate). The church is doing far more good than you can imagine.
This is What Churches Do
It’s easy to point to some extravagantly rich TV preacher, but that person is as common in ministry circles as the proverbial dodo bird. The vast majority of pastors are overworked and underpaid. They do what they do out of love for God and love for people.
That means people in your community. People with needs and challenges.
The last thing America needs is a diminished and weakened church.
The church is there to help meet those needs. To provide free marital counseling. To provide free programs for children and youth. To provide free classes for recovering addicts.
That is what churches do.
During this time of shutdown, many churches are providing food for needy families in their communities, feeding countless thousands (by now, probably millions) across the nation on a weekly basis.
That is what churches do.
Who do you think runs many of the local soup kitchens? Helps supply the food banks? Gets involved in schools to mentor underprivileged youth? Volunteers at the hospitals?
That is what churches do.
Take away the influence of the church in a given location, and a real hole will be left in terms of acts of compassionate service.
Take away the influence of the church in a given location, and a real hole will be left in terms of faith and hope and inspiration and encouragement.
The last thing America needs is a diminished and weakened church.
The Moral Conscience
This also holds true when it comes to morality, although those who hate the church will mock me for even saying this.
But God’s people are called to be a restraining influence against evil. A voice advocating for good. A moral conscience to a sinning world. In the words of Jesus, we are called to be salt and light, and when we fail to function in that way, moral deterioration accelerates.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
To be sure, we have often been our own worst enemy.
We have been hypocritical. We have been riddled by sexual and financial scandals. We have engaged in partisan politics. And more.
That’s why it doesn’t surprise me greatly that a 2018 Gallup poll indicated that “the country’s perception of pastors fell to a record low in 2018.”
Yes, “Fewer than half of American Christians (42%) believe clergy have ‘high’ or ‘very high’ standards of honesty and ethics . . . . Self-identified Christians were about as likely to rate clergy’s ethical standards as just average (43%), and about 1 in 10 (12%) considered them ‘low’ or ‘very low.’”
It would appear, then, that the very bad reputation of the few has colored the general perception of the many, as I feel confident that the average, committed church-goer thinks much more highly of his or her pastor than this survey would indicate.
But we must also factor in the hostility of the left towards conservative Christian ministries. This was put on grand display with New York City’s treatment of Samaritan’s Purse, as Christian healthcare workers labored sacrificially, day and night, only to be told by elected officials and others that they were not welcome because of their Christian beliefs.
The Local Miser
This, in effect, provides a microcosm of the left’s relationship to Bible-believing churches. The hostile society despises and rejects them to its own detriment.
And that reminds of an old story about a famously rich and infamously miserly Jewish man who lived in a town in Europe.
Every year, the local synagogues would send requests to him for financial help for the poor, and every year, he would gruffly refuse. Naturally, he was judged harshly by others in his town. “He has so much money but he won’t even donate a dime!”
After he passed away, there was a sudden drop in financial support for the poor, and the leaders could not figure it out.
It was only then that they learned that this rich Jewish man had been incredibly generous, responsible for large, anonymous donations every year. But he was so determined not to get any earthly credit for it that he pretended to be a miser.
It was only after he was gone that the community realized the vital role he played.
Enough said.
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.


thestream--2020-05-12--Behind the Misleading Statement That Blue States Subsidize Red States

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) touched a nerve recently by suggesting the federal government shouldn ’ t bail out mismanaged blue states .
They should be forced to file bankruptcy instead .
Congressional Democrats are working on legislation to give states bailouts due to COVID-19 .
But is that the real reason ?
Is it a good reason to transfer money to states in financial trouble long before anyone heard of COVID-19 ?
Why Should We ?
President Trump says no .
He tweeted , “ Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as example ) and cities , in all cases Democrat run and managed , when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help ?
I am open to discussing anything , but just asking ?
” Democrats have an answer .
They say the states should get the money , because blue states give more to the federal government than they get back from it .
Red states take more than they pay .
The bailout ’ s just returning the favor .
Now it ’ s true that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher per capita income tax than the average taxpayer in red states .
That ’ s because those states — particularly Connecticut , Massachusetts , New Jersey , New York and California — have more rich people .
Don ’ t the Democrats want the rich paying their fair share ?
As for blue states allegedly getting back less , what numbers are they looking at ?
It is true that red states receive 35.75 % on average of their budgets from the federal government .
Blue states receive only 30.80 % .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage because their total budgets are far larger due to all the bloat and waste .
The 10 states in the best fiscal condition are almost all red states .
The 10 states in the worst condition are almost all blue .
Why does this matter ?
The higher the taxes , the more mismanaged a state is .
CNBC examined the infrastructure of every state , including roads , airports , water systems and ports .
The places with the worst-rated infrastructure are six Democratic states , which also rank among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Connecticut , Hawaii , Maryland , Massachusetts , New Jersey , and New York .
Steven Malanga at City Journal looked at airports as an example of how blue states mismanage money .
He found that three of the worst airports , all located in NYC , are run by a port authority that has “ enormous taxing power.
” It gets money from “ fees , tolls , fares , and rents that it collects everywhere from bridge and tunnel crossings to the airports themselves.
” The authority uses this to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers and politically favored , but super-costly , money-losing building projects.
” The Tax Foundation ’ s State Business Tax Climate Index analyzes how well states structure their tax systems .
As expected , the poorest performing states are generally the highest taxed states .
Blue States Get Back More Per Capita Kyle Sammin at The Federalist found that if you look at the amount of money the federal government gives to states on a per capita basis instead , blue states get more ; $ 2,124 per resident .
Red states receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palumbo , writing at The Dan Bongino Show , found that even if red states receive more in federal welfare , it ’ s not going to Republicans .
Those on public assistance , as well as long-term unemployment , are overwhelmingly Democrats .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
To try and rectify some of the disparity , Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ( TCJA ) in 2017 .
It put a cap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax deductions ( SALT ) .
Without it , rich people in blue states that had bloated , wasteful , high state and local taxes were able to deduct those ridiculously huge tax numbers from their federal taxes , resulting in those states sending far less money to the federal government .
It was very unfair to taxpayers living in sensible states without bloated taxes , who didn ’ t get the huge deductions .
Adam Michel at The Heritage Foundation observed , it “ forces people in lower-tax states to subsidize more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , “ The average millionaire living in New York or California deducted more than $ 450,000 worth of state and local taxes ; the average millionaire in Texas deducted only $ 50,000 and therefore paid close to $ 180,000 more per year in federal taxes.
” So basically the reason the Democrats are protesting the SALT cap is to help rich Democrats in blue states avoid the consequences of their states ’ wasteful spending .
Does this surprise anyone ?
Democrats always say they ’ re for the poor , but their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The only time they care to throw taxpayers ’ money at the poor is if they think it will get the poor to vote for Democrats .
A lot of the blue states were already in fiscal trouble before COVID-19 .
Bailing them out also bails out their irresponsible policies .
Yes it ’ s unfair that a lot of people who are fiscally responsible in those states are going to be hurt without a bailout , including Republicans .
But where does the buck stop ?
I didn ’ t like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington , so I moved to Arizona in my mid-20s .
Governors in red states are issuing public invitations to people in blue states to move to their states .
Moving companies report more people moving from blue states to red states than vice versa .
Americans are getting fed up with the high taxes and mismanagement in blue states .
So why should we reward it , continuing the miserable status quo ?
At a minimum , if Congress is going to bail out states , there needs to be strict requirements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t squander it .
And Democrats and their comrades in the mainstream media need to stop the hypocritical rhetoric about blue states subsidizing red states .
You can ’ t call for soaking the rich while complaining at the same time that they are paying more in taxes .

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., touched a nerve recently by suggesting the federal government shouldn’t bail out mismanaged blue states. They should be forced to file bankruptcy instead. Congressional Democrats are working on legislation to give states bailouts due to COVID-19.
But is that the real reason? Is it a good reason to transfer money to states in financial trouble long before anyone heard of COVID-19?
Why Should We?
President Trump says no. He tweeted, “Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? I am open to discussing anything, but just asking?”
Democrats have an answer. They say the states should get the money, because blue states give more to the federal government than they get back from it. Red states take more than they pay. The bailout’s just returning the favor.
Now it’s true that the average taxpayer in blue states pays a higher per capita income tax than the average taxpayer in red states. That’s because those states — particularly Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and California — have more rich people. Don’t the Democrats want the rich paying their fair share?
As for blue states allegedly getting back less, what numbers are they looking at? It is true that red states receive 35.75% on average of their budgets from the federal government. Blue states receive only 30.80%. But the blue states get a lower percentage because their total budgets are far larger due to all the bloat and waste. The 10 states in the best fiscal condition are almost all red states. The 10 states in the worst condition are almost all blue.
Taxes and Mismanagement
Why does this matter? The higher the taxes, the more mismanaged a state is. CNBC examined the infrastructure of every state, including roads, airports, water systems and ports. The places with the worst-rated infrastructure are six Democratic states, which also rank among the highest in taxes collected per resident: Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.
The poorest performing states are generally the highest taxed states.
Steven Malanga at City Journal looked at airports as an example of how blue states mismanage money. He found that three of the worst airports, all located in NYC, are run by a port authority that has “enormous taxing power.” It gets money from “fees, tolls, fares, and rents that it collects everywhere from bridge and tunnel crossings to the airports themselves.” The authority uses this to “to subsidize lavish salaries and benefits for workers and politically favored, but super-costly, money-losing building projects.”
The Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index analyzes how well states structure their tax systems. As expected, the poorest performing states are generally the highest taxed states.
Blue States Get Back More Per Capita
Kyle Sammin at The Federalist found that if you look at the amount of money the federal government gives to states on a per capita basis instead, blue states get more; $2,124 per resident. Red states receive just $1,879 on average.
Matt Palumbo, writing at The Dan Bongino Show, found that even if red states receive more in federal welfare, it’s not going to Republicans. Those on public assistance, as well as long-term unemployment, are overwhelmingly Democrats.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
To try and rectify some of the disparity, Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2017. It put a cap of $10,000 on state and local tax deductions (SALT). Without it, rich people in blue states that had bloated, wasteful, high state and local taxes were able to deduct those ridiculously huge tax numbers from their federal taxes, resulting in those states sending far less money to the federal government.
The Truth? Lower-Taxed States Subsidize Higher-Taxed States
It was very unfair to taxpayers living in sensible states without bloated taxes, who didn’t get the huge deductions. Adam Michel at The Heritage Foundation observed, it “forces people in lower-tax states to subsidize more expensive governments elsewhere.” He provided an example, “The average millionaire living in New York or California deducted more than $450,000 worth of state and local taxes; the average millionaire in Texas deducted only $50,000 and therefore paid close to $180,000 more per year in federal taxes.”
Basically the reason the Democrats are protesting the SALT cap is to help rich Democrats in blue states avoid the consequences of their states’ wasteful spending.
So basically the reason the Democrats are protesting the SALT cap is to help rich Democrats in blue states avoid the consequences of their states’ wasteful spending. Does this surprise anyone? Democrats always say they’re for the poor, but their actions show they favor the rich. The only time they care to throw taxpayers’ money at the poor is if they think it will get the poor to vote for Democrats.
A lot of the blue states were already in fiscal trouble before COVID-19. Bailing them out also bails out their irresponsible policies. Yes it’s unfair that a lot of people who are fiscally responsible in those states are going to be hurt without a bailout, including Republicans. But where does the buck stop? I didn’t like the liberal policies of my home state, Washington, so I moved to Arizona in my mid-20s.
People are Fleeing Higher Taxed Blue States
Governors in red states are issuing public invitations to people in blue states to move to their states. Moving companies report more people moving from blue states to red states than vice versa. Americans are getting fed up with the high taxes and mismanagement in blue states. So why should we reward it, continuing the miserable status quo? At a minimum, if Congress is going to bail out states, there needs to be strict requirements placed on the funds so blue states can’t squander it.
And Democrats and their comrades in the mainstream media need to stop the hypocritical rhetoric about blue states subsidizing red states. You can’t call for soaking the rich while complaining at the same time that they are paying more in taxes.
Rachel Alexander is a senior editor of The Stream. Follow her on Twitter at Rach_IC. Follow The Stream at streamdotorg. Send tips to [email protected].
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--2020-05-12--Military Photo of the Day: An Aerial Salute to Health Care Workers

Seven F-35A Lightning IIs , along with seven F-16 Fighting Falcons and a KC-135 Stratotanker , fly in formation to @ @ @ @ @ May 1 , 2020 , in Phoenix , Arizona .
We join the U.S. Air @ @ @ @ @ our nation ’ s health care heroes !
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians @ @ @ @ @ Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .

Seven F-35A Lightning IIs, along with seven F-16 Fighting Falcons and a KC-135 Stratotanker, fly in formation to salute health care workers on May 1, 2020, in Phoenix, Arizona.
We join the U.S. Air Force in thanking all of our nation’s health care heroes!
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.


thestream--2020-05-13--How to Fight the New National Socialists, Part 1: Call Them What They Are

In certain circles , name-calling an ideological opponent a Nazi has become de rigueur .
The term gets tossed out so fast and so loose in so-called debates .
As a result , it has lost virtually all meaning .
This is unfortunate .
For one thing , the actual Nazis inflicted some of the worst destruction upon this planet humanity has ever witnessed , and don ’ t deserve to have their name whitewashed .
And for another , usually the one hurling the epithet better resembles the insult than the one being accused .
Nine times out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be some flavor of Leftist .
In fact , the American Left has done more than obsess over the NSDAP , or Nazi Party .
They ’ ve learned from it .
Its mindset .
And motivations .
Its goals .
And its methods .
Each ideology is built on on a Manichean , “ Us versus Them ” mentality .
Particular groups of people are vilified while others are exalted .
The heroes in the Nazi narrative were “ racially pure ” Aryans — in other words , the whitest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any type of minority , particularly Jews and non-Aryans .
Today , the American Left has become obsessed with the exact same people .
They have simply reversed the roles .
They place minorities of any stripe on a ridiculously high pedestal .
And they vilify white people , especially white Christians .
Indeed , to many Leftists , the phrase “ white Christians ” is redundant .
They believe Christianity is synonymous with whiteness .
Never mind that most such leftists are white , while most Christians are not .
White leftists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ally.
” An “ ally ” is a “ person that actively promotes and aspires to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional , positive and conscious efforts.
” This is how Leftists circumvent the contradiction of their own whiteness .
The Nazi Party leadership was composed of a handicapped member in addition to many others with non-Aryan traits .
They were hardly a paragon of the Nazi Superman ideal .
But coherence is and was virtually irrelevant to these ideologues .
I hardly need prove the Nazis ’ fascination with whiteness and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of corpses speak for themselves .
But what about the Left ?
Has it really become obsessed with minorities ?
Perhaps not with the individuals themselves .
But certainly with the politics of classifying them , then exploiting the division that results .
As writer Amy Chua noted : “ Because the Left is always trying to outleft the last Left , the result can be a zero-sum competition over which group is the least privileged , an ‘ Oppression Olympics.
’ ” Matthew Yglesias wrote in Vox : “ The Great Awokening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times Magazine declared in 2017 , “ For better or worse , it ’ s all identity now.
” Nothing has changed since .
One need look no further than recent Democratic Party antics for hard evidence .
Congressional Democrats have introduced no fewer than 85 minority-related bills and resolutions since 2019 .
And Nancy Pelosi never misses a chance to trot out her party ’ s oppression credentials .
Take her recent commencement address at Mount Holyoke College , for example : “ I bring special greetings on behalf of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m proud to say is more than 50 percent women , people of color & LGBT [ m ] embers.
” Then there are the internal party quarrels .
They often revolve around race .
The New York Post summed up the situation nicely : Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
The glorification of , and fixation upon , minority status is complemented by the vilification of the majority .
The Post continues : This anti-white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s reflective of the sentiments of the Leftist masses .
Twitter , for instance , is a cesspool of anti-white rhetoric .
One typical example : Sarah Jeong is infamous for her anti-white tweets .
A former member of the New York Times editorial board , she ’ s responsible for numerous gems .
Check these out : • “ oh man it ’ s kind of sick how much joy I get out of being cruel to old white men.
” • “ Dumbass f—-ing white people marking up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p–sing on fire hydrants.
” Perhaps most telling : • “ The world could get by just fine with zero white people.
” The New York Times wouldn ’ t fire her , even after these came to light .
Then there are the white-only re-education camps .
And “ segregated safe space [ s ] for white students to talk about their racism and white privilege ” at American universities .
Add to that the poster campaigns telling whites and Christians to “ check your privilege.
” Not to mention the endless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whites of being unable to recognize their inherent and unavoidable racism .
The ones claiming “ white men must be stopped ” because “ the very future of mankind depends on it.
” And let ’ s not forget the ones asserting “ white boys ” shouldn ’ t be allowed to talk in university classes .
The list goes on and on .
And Christians are the next target , as I ’ ll explain in Part 2 .

In certain circles, name-calling an ideological opponent a Nazi has become de rigueur. The term gets tossed out so fast and so loose in so-called debates. As a result, it has lost virtually all meaning. This is unfortunate. For one thing, the actual Nazis inflicted some of the worst destruction upon this planet humanity has ever witnessed, and don’t deserve to have their name whitewashed. And for another, usually the one hurling the epithet better resembles the insult than the one being accused. Nine times out of ten, he or she just happens to be some flavor of leftist.
In fact, the American left has done more than obsess over the NSDAP, or Nazi Party. They’ve learned from it. Its mindset. And motivations. Its goals. And its methods.
Groupthink, Race Obsessions, and Scapegoating
Each ideology is built on on a Manichean, “Us versus Them” mentality. Particular groups of people are vilified while others are exalted. The heroes in the Nazi narrative were “racially pure” Aryans — in other words, the whitest of white people. The villains were essentially any type of minority, particularly Jews and non-Aryans. Today, the American left has become obsessed with the exact same people. They have simply reversed the roles. They place minorities of any stripe on a ridiculously high pedestal. And they vilify white people, especially white Christians. Indeed, to many leftists, the phrase “white Christians” is redundant. They believe Christianity is synonymous with whiteness.
The heroes in the Nazi narrative were “racially pure” Aryans — in other words, the whitest of white people. The villains were essentially any type of minority, particularly Jews and non-Aryans. Today, the American left has become obsessed with the exact same people. They have simply reversed the roles.
Never mind that most such leftists are white, while most Christians are not. White leftists have created the concept of the “ally.” An “ally” is a “person that actively promotes and aspires to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional, positive and conscious efforts.” This is how leftists circumvent the contradiction of their own whiteness. The Nazi Party leadership was composed of a handicapped member in addition to many others with non-Aryan traits. They were hardly a paragon of the Nazi Superman ideal. But coherence is and was virtually irrelevant to these ideologues.
I hardly need prove the Nazis’ fascination with whiteness and violent hatred for non-whiteness. The millions of corpses speak for themselves. But what about the left? Has it really become obsessed with minorities? Perhaps not with the individuals themselves. But certainly with the politics of classifying them, then exploiting the division that results.
The Great Awokening
As writer Amy Chua noted: “Because the Left is always trying to outleft the last Left, the result can be a zero-sum competition over which group is the least privileged, an ‘Oppression Olympics.’” Matthew Yglesias wrote in Vox: “The Great Awokening is fundamentally about race.” And The New York Times Magazine declared in 2017, “For better or worse, it’s all identity now.” Nothing has changed since.
Race Fetishists in Congress
One need look no further than recent Democratic Party antics for hard evidence. Congressional Democrats have introduced no fewer than 85 minority-related bills and resolutions since 2019. And Nancy Pelosi never misses a chance to trot out her party’s oppression credentials. Take her recent commencement address at Mount Holyoke College, for example: “I bring special greetings on behalf of the House Democratic Caucus – which I’m proud to say is more than 50 percent women, people of color & LGBT [m]embers.” Then there are the internal party quarrels. They often revolve around race. The New York Post summed up the situation nicely:
Hoping to copy Sen. Kamala Harris, who scorched Biden over his opposition to school busing nearly 50 years ago … Sen. Cory Booker is preparing his own assault along racial lines … faulting Biden’s criminal justice plan and calling him the “proud architect” of a system that led to mass incarceration of minorities.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
The glorification of, and fixation upon, minority status is complemented by the vilification of the majority. The Post continues:
Some of their ideas sound anti-white. The increased frequency with which the “racist” tag is thrown around is one manifestation, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggesting that even Speaker Nancy Pelosi is guilty. Another is that Rep. Ilhan Omar can give an interview where she says that America should be more fearful of “white men” than Islamic terrorism — and the left defends her as being misunderstood.
Brown Skin Good, White Skin BAAAAAAAD
This anti-white bent is not only in the leadership. It’s reflective of the sentiments of the leftist masses. Twitter, for instance, is a cesspool of anti-white rhetoric. One typical example:
Sarah Jeong is infamous for her anti-white tweets. A former member of the New York Times editorial board, she’s responsible for numerous gems. Check these out:
“oh man it’s kind of sick how much joy I get out of being cruel to old white men.”
“Dumbass f—-ing white people marking up the internet with their opinions like dogs p–sing on fire hydrants.” Perhaps most telling:
“The world could get by just fine with zero white people.”
The New York Times wouldn’t fire her, even after these came to light.
Then there are the white-only re-education camps. And “segregated safe space[s] for white students to talk about their racism and white privilege” at American universities. Add to that the poster campaigns telling whites and Christians to “check your privilege.” Not to mention the endless articles in online publications. Those accusing whites of being unable to recognize their inherent and unavoidable racism. The ones claiming “white men must be stopped” because “the very future of mankind depends on it.” And let’s not forget the ones asserting “white boys” shouldn’t be allowed to talk in university classes. The list goes on and on.
And Christians are the next target, as I’ll explain in Part 2.
Bettina di Fiore is a San Francisco Bay Area based writer, teacher, and liturgical seamstress. Her blog can be found at www.watchingthewhirlwind.net.


thestream--2020-05-12--Yes, Israeli Friends, We Want You to Believe in Yeshua (Jesus)

The news has taken the Jewish world by storm ( see here and here and here and here ) .
GOD TV , an evangelical Christian network , has obtained the rights to air the gospel in Hebrew on Israel ’ s largest cable network .
But why is this so shocking ?
Evangelical Christians want everyone to believe in Jesus , meaning both Gentiles and Jews .
Not only so , but they believe that the gospel is tailor made for the Jewish people , since , first and foremost , Jesus is the Jewish Messiah .
I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jewish follower of Jesus ( aka , Messianic Jew ) and as a close friend of Ward Simpson , the president and CEO of GOD TV .
( Ward was also a student of mine in the mid-1990s .
I also host a daily Q & A show on GOD TV , for which I receive no financial compensation .
GOD TV ’ s Hebrew channel is called Shelanu , meaning “ ours.
” ) Here are the facts .
GOD TV is committed to being a friend of Israel , no matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needy Israelis , combatting antisemitism , and standing with Israel politically .
GOD TV will continue to do that , regardless of whether one million Israelis believe in Jesus or every Israeli rejects Jesus .
Because GOD TV ’ s love is Christian , that love is also unconditional .
That ’ s why , long before there was even a thought of having a Hebrew-language outreach channel in Israel , GOD TV was raising money from its viewers to bless and help the people of Israel .
No questions asked .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOD TV will continue to do this , regardless of the backlash it is facing in the Israeli media and the Jewish press .
GOD TV will continue to stand against the unfair treatment of Israel in the UN and other international bodies .
Followers of Jesus Seek to Share Their Faith And , as long as the door remains open , GOD TV will preach the good news of Yeshua the Messiah in Hebrew on Israeli TV .
That ’ s what followers of Jesus do .
They share their faith .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ words of Jesus seriously , namely , that the gospel message begins in Jerusalem ( see Luke 24:44-47 ; Acts 1:8 ) .
And they agree with the apostle Paul , who taught that the gospel was to the Jew first and also to the Gentile ( see Romans 1:16 ) .
Why should the good news be withheld from the Messiah ’ s own people ?
Isn ’ t that a form of discrimination ?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jew would say , “ We don ’ t need your Jesus .
We have our own covenant with God .
We have the Torah .
We have our traditions .
Don ’ t bother us with your Christian message.
” But that ’ s also what a Muslim would say ( in different words , of course ) : “ We have Muhammad and the Quran .
We have the true revelation.
” And that ’ s what practitioners of other religions would say ( again , in their own words ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other non-believers would say : “ We don ’ t believe in God and we don ’ t want your religion.
” Yet followers of Jesus seek to share the good news with everyone who will listen , including religious Jews , devout Muslims , committed Hindus , as well as witches , New Age mystics , agnostics , atheists , and whoever else will lend an ear .
( The truth be told , many of us came from these different backgrounds before believing in Jesus-Yeshua . )
As Ward Simpson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jesus is a touchy one [ in Israel ] .
We do understand that .
We have to be sensitive to it .
But that ’ s what we do .
That ’ s what we are .
We are Christians [ and ] we are called to go to all the world and preach the gospel .
That ’ s what we ’ re trained to do , and that ’ s what we ’ re doing.
” And that ’ s what Christians friends of Israel should do : demonstrate unconditional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share the good news of Jesus the Messiah with them .
To say , “ We love the Jewish people but we oppose Messianic Jews sharing their faith with them ” is to fall short of Christian love .
( I can respect Christian ministries in Israel that must agree not to proselytize , as long as their statement of faith makes plain that Jews , like all other people , need Jesus to receive forgiveness of sins . )
Ward also noted that the goal is not converting Jews to Christianity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their Messiah without renouncing their Jewish identity or calling .
The Gospel is Already Being Preached in Israel But here ’ s the bigger news .
The gospel has been preached in Hebrew , in Israel , for decades .
Every day , Messianic Jews , some of them born and raised in Israel , share their faith with their friends and co-workers , in Hebrew .
Every day , Israelis watch testimonies on websites like One for Israel , in Hebrew .
Every day , Jewish followers of Yeshua engage in different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Israel .
And day by day , week by week , the number of Israelis who believe in Yeshua continues to grow .
As noted by a researcher with the Caspari Center , “ In 1999 , the number of [ Jewish ] believers in total was approximately 5,000 .
Today , 5,000 is just the number of believers in Russian-speaking congregations in Israel.
” It is Right to Stand With Israel Because Scripture Says to Do So Not surprisingly , many Orthodox rabbis are angry with GOD TV , with some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their work with other Christians .
As expressed by Rabbi Tuly Weisz , “ I ’ m trying to convince other Israelis that we can start to trust Christians once again , and that they do not have ulterior motives — and , lo and behold , God TV is demonstrating that there are in fact very clear strong ulterior motives in their support for Israel.
” ( According to Haaretz , Weisz is “ an Orthodox rabbi who immigrated to Israel from the United States and has been engaged ever since in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evangelical community.
” ) Weisz added , “ That shatters the faith of people like me , who had hoped we were making a difference in Jewish-Christian relations.
” But with all respect to Rabbi Weisz , evangelical Christians do not have ulterior motives .
They believe it is right to stand with Israel and demonstrate Christian love because they see a clear mandate in Scripture to do so .
And they also share their faith with the people of Israel whenever an Israeli opens the door .
As for the charges , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ namely , that GOD TV is engaging in illegal proselytization , meaning proselytizing minors or offering some kind of compensation for conversion , those charges are patently false .
GOD TV is doing nothing illegal , and GOD TV has been open and up front from the start with their intentions .
More importantly , GOD TV is simply partnering with Messianic Jews in Israel and Israeli Arabs to give them a platform to express their views .
Seventy percent of the content has been produced by local Messianic Jews , most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 5 board members are Israeli , and one is a Christian Arab .
Messianic Israelis are excited to have a platform to share their art , music and yes , their stories of finding Yeshua .
And while GOD TV has generously underwritten the channel , the channel itself is a partnership with the nearly 200,000 Messianic Jewish and Christian Arab Israelis .
The good news , then , is that , whatever the government decides to do with GOD TV ’ s contract , the gospel will still be preached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , by the local believers , reaching hundreds of thousands , or even millions of Israelis .
( For the record , the gospel is also being preached in Israel in Arabic every day as well , not to mention throughout the Arabic speaking Muslim world . )
And , regardless of how the government of Israel treats GOD TV , and no matter what misinformation the Israeli media or counter-missionary rabbis spread , GOD TV will continue to love and bless Israel .
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

The news has taken the Jewish world by storm (see here and here and here and here). GOD TV, an evangelical Christian network, has obtained the rights to air the gospel in Hebrew on Israel’s largest cable network. But why is this so shocking? Evangelical Christians want everyone to believe in Jesus, meaning both Gentiles and Jews. Not only so, but they believe that the gospel is tailor made for the Jewish people, since, first and foremost, Jesus is the Jewish Messiah.
I can address this personally, both as a Jewish follower of Jesus (aka, Messianic Jew) and as a close friend of Ward Simpson, the president and CEO of GOD TV. (Ward was also a student of mine in the mid-1990s. I also host a daily Q&A show on GOD TV, for which I receive no financial compensation. GOD TV’s Hebrew channel is called Shelanu, meaning “ours.”)
Here are the facts.
Followers of Jesus Seek to Bless Israel
GOD TV is committed to being a friend of Israel, no matter what, helping to raise funds for needy Israelis, combatting antisemitism, and standing with Israel politically.
GOD TV will continue to do that, regardless of whether one million Israelis believe in Jesus or every Israeli rejects Jesus.
Because GOD TV’s love is Christian, that love is also unconditional.
Long before there was even a thought of having a Hebrew-language outreach channel in Israel, GOD TV was raising money from its viewers to bless and help the people of Israel.
That’s why, long before there was even a thought of having a Hebrew-language outreach channel in Israel, GOD TV was raising money from its viewers to bless and help the people of Israel. No questions asked. No strings attached. No secret motives.
GOD TV will continue to do this, regardless of the backlash it is facing in the Israeli media and the Jewish press.
GOD TV will continue to oppose BDS.
GOD TV will continue to stand against the unfair treatment of Israel in the UN and other international bodies.
Followers of Jesus Seek to Share Their Faith
And, as long as the door remains open, GOD TV will preach the good news of Yeshua the Messiah in Hebrew on Israeli TV. That’s what followers of Jesus do. They share their faith. With everyone.
They also take the words of Jesus seriously, namely, that the gospel message begins in Jerusalem (see Luke 24:44-47; Acts 1:8). And they agree with the apostle Paul, who taught that the gospel was to the Jew first and also to the Gentile (see Romans 1:16).
Why should the good news be withheld from the Messiah’s own people? Isn’t that a form of discrimination?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
A traditional Jew would say, “We don’t need your Jesus. We have our own covenant with God. We have the Torah. We have our traditions. Don’t bother us with your Christian message.”
But that’s also what a Muslim would say (in different words, of course): “We have Muhammad and the Quran. We have the true revelation.”
And that’s what practitioners of other religions would say (again, in their own words).
That’s also what atheists and other non-believers would say: “We don’t believe in God and we don’t want your religion.”
Yet followers of Jesus seek to share the good news with everyone who will listen, including religious Jews, devout Muslims, committed Hindus, as well as witches, New Age mystics, agnostics, atheists, and whoever else will lend an ear. (The truth be told, many of us came from these different backgrounds before believing in Jesus-Yeshua.)
A Sensitive Topic
As Ward Simpson explained, “This subject preaching about Jesus is a touchy one [in Israel]. We do understand that. We have to be sensitive to it. But that’s what we do. That’s what we are. We are Christians [and] we are called to go to all the world and preach the gospel. That’s what we’re trained to do, and that’s what we’re doing.”
And that’s what Christians friends of Israel should do: demonstrate unconditional love to the people of Israel and share the good news of Jesus the Messiah with them. To say, “We love the Jewish people but we oppose Messianic Jews sharing their faith with them” is to fall short of Christian love. (I can respect Christian ministries in Israel that must agree not to proselytize, as long as their statement of faith makes plain that Jews, like all other people, need Jesus to receive forgiveness of sins.)
Ward also noted that the goal is not converting Jews to Christianity. It is helping them recognize Jesus as their Messiah without renouncing their Jewish identity or calling.
The Gospel is Already Being Preached in Israel
But here’s the bigger news. The gospel has been preached in Hebrew, in Israel, for decades.
Every day, Messianic Jews, some of them born and raised in Israel, share their faith with their friends and co-workers, in Hebrew.
Every day, Israelis watch testimonies on websites like One for Israel, in Hebrew.
Every day, Jewish followers of Yeshua engage in different forms of outreach, in Hebrew, in Israel.
And day by day, week by week, the number of Israelis who believe in Yeshua continues to grow. As noted by a researcher with the Caspari Center, “In 1999, the number of [Jewish] believers in total was approximately 5,000. Today, 5,000 is just the number of believers in Russian-speaking congregations in Israel.”
It is Right to Stand With Israel Because Scripture Says to Do So
Not surprisingly, many Orthodox rabbis are angry with GOD TV, with some even claiming that the network is undermining their work with other Christians.
As expressed by Rabbi Tuly Weisz, “I’m trying to convince other Israelis that we can start to trust Christians once again, and that they do not have ulterior motives — and, lo and behold, God TV is demonstrating that there are in fact very clear strong ulterior motives in their support for Israel.” (According to Haaretz, Weisz is “an Orthodox rabbi who immigrated to Israel from the United States and has been engaged ever since in creating bridges between Israel and the international evangelical community.”)
Weisz added, “That shatters the faith of people like me, who had hoped we were making a difference in Jewish-Christian relations.”
But with all respect to Rabbi Weisz, evangelical Christians do not have ulterior motives. They believe it is right to stand with Israel and demonstrate Christian love because they see a clear mandate in Scripture to do so. And they also share their faith with the people of Israel whenever an Israeli opens the door.
GOD TV is Giving Local Messianic Jews and Israeli Arabs a Platform
As for the charges, put forth by some counter-missionary rabbis, namely, that GOD TV is engaging in illegal proselytization, meaning proselytizing minors or offering some kind of compensation for conversion, those charges are patently false.
GOD TV is doing nothing illegal, and GOD TV has been open and up front from the start with their intentions.
More importantly, GOD TV is simply partnering with Messianic Jews in Israel and Israeli Arabs to give them a platform to express their views.
Seventy percent of the content has been produced by local Messianic Jews, most of them born in Israel. Four out of the 5 board members are Israeli, and one is a Christian Arab.
Messianic Israelis are excited to have a platform to share their art, music and yes, their stories of finding Yeshua. And while GOD TV has generously underwritten the channel, the channel itself is a partnership with the nearly 200,000 Messianic Jewish and Christian Arab Israelis.
The good news, then, is that, whatever the government decides to do with GOD TV’s contract, the gospel will still be preached in Hebrew, in Israel every day, by the local believers, reaching hundreds of thousands, or even millions of Israelis. (For the record, the gospel is also being preached in Israel in Arabic every day as well, not to mention throughout the Arabic speaking Muslim world.)
And, regardless of how the government of Israel treats GOD TV, and no matter what misinformation the Israeli media or counter-missionary rabbis spread, GOD TV will continue to love and bless Israel.
That’s what Christians do.
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.


thestream--2020-05-12--Newly Released Transcripts Show the Depth of the Lies

Monday , I told you about what we discovered deep within the 88-page transcript of a House Intel Committee interview with CrowdStrike cybersecurity expert Shawn Henry .
As it turns out , others such as Dan Bongino and Tucker Carlson picked up on that same piece of news and did commentaries as well .
It ’ s a huge story that , sadly , most of the media will bury under a pile of Barr-bashing and scary coronavirus stories .
Really , though , this story is arguably the scariest one of all , because it shows our country has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grip of a different kind of contagion : mass hysteria .
Mr. Henry ’ s testimony , hidden for three years , reveals that the lie Democrats have told since 2016 goes beyond the phony assertion that there is evidence Trump was in cahoots with Vladimir Putin while running for President .
They also lied when they said there was evidence of the Russian government trying to hurt Hillary by hacking DNC emails .
According to Henry , the one in charge of CrowdStrike ’ s investigation , they found no direct evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( I mentioned in my earlier commentary that they are known to have made mistakes before when attributing computer hacks to Russia . )
But a Russian hack fits the narrative .
When Henry was brought in by Clinton lawyer and helpful dirt-disher Michael Sussmann to handle the “ remediation , ” it was Sussmann who told him the FBI had already found “ indications ” that caused them to suspect the Russian government , essentially handing Henry the client ’ s preferred narrative on a silver platter .
The fact is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia hacked the emails of the DNC and John Podesta , head of Hillary ’ s campaign .
Maybe they did ; maybe somebody else did .
But there is no evidence that they did , although Rep. Adam Schiff has been talking about the “ evidence ” every chance he got .
This is a dangerous man — and I don ’ t mean only if you get between him and a TV camera .
Over and over , he has claimed there is “ evidence in plain sight ” about Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is an abominable lie .
But he tells it so often , he must be using Lenin ’ s strategy of “ A lie told often enough becomes the truth.
” I have my own version to offer Mr. Schiff : “ A lie told often enough just makes you that much more of a dirty liar.
” To stick to his fake story while still maintaining he ’ s telling the truth , Schiff is trying to claim the “ evidence in plain sight ” is the Trump Tower meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ticket !
We all know that meeting took place .
It involved Trump campaign people and some Russians .
So , all right : “ collusion !
” But not so fast .
In April , John Solomon uncovered evidence about that meeting that shows it to have been downright inconsequential .
Some FBI memos concerning the Trump Tower meeting had been released , specifically the July 12 , 2017 , interview with Anatoli Samochornov , a trusted translator for the State Department , and Solomon found that they provided a great deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team had conveniently left out of their final report .
In Solomon ’ s words , “ Samochornov ’ s eyewitness account entirely debunks the media ’ s narrative.
” We now can see the FBI agent ’ s ‘ 302 ’ notes on Samochornov , in which the translator “ concurred with Donald Trump Jr. ’ s accounts of the meeting.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Recall that at the time of this interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump Tower meeting , hoping it might be the piece of “ collusion ” evidence .
Imagine : we had Don Jr. , Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner , and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort lured to a meeting by Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskya by the promise of “ dirt ” on Hillary !
They ridiculed Don Jr. ’ s account that the meeting was really about a Russian lobbying campaign to change adoption practices under a human rights law called the Magnitsky Act .
Veselnitskya had hired Samochornov to be her translator for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present at the Trump Tower meeting in that capacity .
While he was being interviewed by the FBI , they wrote this : “ Samochornov could not speak about other occasions , but said there was no discussion about dirt on Hillary Clinton .
Samochornov did not think Hillary Clinton was mentioned by name at the meeting .
Samochornov had not heard Veselnitskya say anything about having ‘ dirt ’ on Hillary Clinton .
Veselnitskya did not offer any materials during the meeting and no papers were exchanged.
” So , it really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact , most of the presentation was done by an American lobbyist , according to the translator .
It was brief , as people had a campaign to run .
None of this information appeared in the final special counsel report .
A Senate staffer involved in the Russia investigation told John Solomon , “ The omission from the Mueller report leaves a distorted picture that has been allowed to persist for more than two years .
We are looking into the circumstances of the editing of that report and why DOJ allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carry on in the face of significant evidence of innocence.
” So they don ’ t have evidence of collusion , but they lie and say they do .
They do have evidence of innocence , but they lie by omission and leave it out .
This farce has gone on long enough .
Thankfully , acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell is calling for the release of more and more long-withheld evidence that , sure enough , is turning out to be exculpatory .
And no amount of spinning by Schiff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s desperate now to keep the lid on his own role in the plot to take down Trump — will stop us from calling a lie a lie .
Liking the idea of getting dirt on one ’ s political opponent is not wrong .
In this case , though , there was no “ collusion ” with Russians to get it .
The only “ collusion ” we ’ ve seen was in the Hillary camp , when they paid for “ dirt ” from Russians .
Speaking of Obama ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a great piece on what was done to target Michael Flynn and also to hide classified information from the incoming Trump team .
We ’ ve covered most of the details , but she lays them all out in a revealing timeline .
Highly recommended .
Mike Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and longtime conservative commentator on issues in culture and current events .
A New York Times best-selling author , he hosts the weekly talk show Huckabee on TBN .

Monday, I told you about what we discovered deep within the 88-page transcript of a House Intel Committee interview with CrowdStrike cybersecurity expert Shawn Henry. As it turns out, others such as Dan Bongino and Tucker Carlson picked up on that same piece of news and did commentaries as well. It’s a huge story that, sadly, most of the media will bury under a pile of Barr-bashing and scary coronavirus stories. Really, though, this story is arguably the scariest one of all, because it shows our country has spent the past several years in the grip of a different kind of contagion: mass hysteria.
Mr. Henry’s testimony, hidden for three years, reveals that the lie Democrats have told since 2016 goes beyond the phony assertion that there is evidence Trump was in cahoots with Vladimir Putin while running for President. They also lied when they said there was evidence of the Russian government trying to hurt Hillary by hacking DNC emails. According to Henry, the one in charge of CrowdStrike’s investigation, they found no direct evidence, only “indications” and assumptions. (I mentioned in my earlier commentary that they are known to have made mistakes before when attributing computer hacks to Russia.) But a Russian hack fits the narrative.
When Henry was brought in by Clinton lawyer and helpful dirt-disher Michael Sussmann to handle the “remediation,” it was Sussmann who told him the FBI had already found “indications” that caused them to suspect the Russian government, essentially handing Henry the client’s preferred narrative on a silver platter.
The fact is, we don’t know if Russia hacked the emails of the DNC and John Podesta, head of Hillary’s campaign. Maybe they did; maybe somebody else did. But there is no evidence that they did, although Rep. Adam Schiff has been talking about the “evidence” every chance he got. This is a dangerous man — and I don’t mean only if you get between him and a TV camera. Over and over, he has claimed there is “evidence in plain sight” about Russian “collusion” with the Trump team.
It is an abominable lie. But he tells it so often, he must be using Lenin’s strategy of “A lie told often enough becomes the truth.” I have my own version to offer Mr. Schiff: “A lie told often enough just makes you that much more of a dirty liar.”
Remember the Trump Tower Meeting? Witness Testified Don Jr. Told The Truth
To stick to his fake story while still maintaining he’s telling the truth, Schiff is trying to claim the “evidence in plain sight” is the Trump Tower meeting. Yeah, that’s the ticket! We all know that meeting took place. It involved Trump campaign people and some Russians. So, all right: “collusion!”
But not so fast. In April, John Solomon uncovered evidence about that meeting that shows it to have been downright inconsequential. Some FBI memos concerning the Trump Tower meeting had been released, specifically the July 12, 2017, interview with Anatoli Samochornov, a trusted translator for the State Department, and Solomon found that they provided a great deal of exculpatory material that Mueller’s team had conveniently left out of their final report.
In Solomon’s words, “Samochornov’s eyewitness account entirely debunks the media’s narrative.” We now can see the FBI agent’s ‘302’ notes on Samochornov, in which the translator “concurred with Donald Trump Jr.’s accounts of the meeting.”
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Recall that at the time of this interview, the media were going crazy about the Trump Tower meeting, hoping it might be the piece of “collusion” evidence. Imagine: we had Don Jr., Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort lured to a meeting by Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskya by the promise of “dirt” on Hillary! They ridiculed Don Jr.’s account that the meeting was really about a Russian lobbying campaign to change adoption practices under a human rights law called the Magnitsky Act.
Veselnitskya had hired Samochornov to be her translator for her legal work, and he was present at the Trump Tower meeting in that capacity. While he was being interviewed by the FBI, they wrote this: “Samochornov could not speak about other occasions, but said there was no discussion about dirt on Hillary Clinton. Samochornov did not think Hillary Clinton was mentioned by name at the meeting. Samochornov had not heard Veselnitskya say anything about having ‘dirt’ on Hillary Clinton. Veselnitskya did not offer any materials during the meeting and no papers were exchanged.”
So, it really was about the Magnitsky Act. In fact, most of the presentation was done by an American lobbyist, according to the translator. It was brief, as people had a campaign to run.
Mueller Buried This Exoneration of Don Jr.
None of this information appeared in the final special counsel report. A Senate staffer involved in the Russia investigation told John Solomon, “The omission from the Mueller report leaves a distorted picture that has been allowed to persist for more than two years. We are looking into the circumstances of the editing of that report and why DOJ allowed such investigations and false public narratives to carry on in the face of significant evidence of innocence.”
So they don’t have evidence of collusion, but they lie and say they do. They do have evidence of innocence, but they lie by omission and leave it out. This farce has gone on long enough. Thankfully, acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell is calling for the release of more and more long-withheld evidence that, sure enough, is turning out to be exculpatory. And no amount of spinning by Schiff — or even Obama, who’s desperate now to keep the lid on his own role in the plot to take down Trump — will stop us from calling a lie a lie.
Liking the idea of getting dirt on one’s political opponent is not wrong. In this case, though, there was no “collusion” with Russians to get it. The only “collusion” we’ve seen was in the Hillary camp, when they paid for “dirt” from Russians.
Speaking of Obama’s role, Mollie Hemingway at The Federalist has a great piece on what was done to target Michael Flynn and also to hide classified information from the incoming Trump team. We’ve covered most of the details, but she lays them all out in a revealing timeline. Highly recommended.
Mike Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and longtime conservative commentator on issues in culture and current events. A New York Times best-selling author, he hosts the weekly talk show Huckabee on TBN.
Originally published at MikeHuckabee.com. Reprinted with permission.


thestream--2020-05-12--Here’s the One Thing China’s Communist Party Fears Most, According to Former China Ambassador Jon Hu

Here’s the One Thing China’s Communist Party Fears Most, According to Former China Ambassador Jon Huntsman

China ’ s Communist Party fears transparency more than anything else , former U.S .
Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman said Monday .
Huntsman praised a letter sent Monday by 18 attorneys general demanding a congressional investigation into China ’ s coverup of the coronavirus outbreak in its early stages , saying on Fox News that such an investigation is necessary .
“ Well , I ’ ll tell you why this letter is such an important one , by these attorneys general .
The Chinese have invested a lot in their relationship-building in our nation ’ s capital .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of time and resources — listen to me , we have 350,000 Chinese students at our universities across this great country — they have also invested in state-by-state relationships , thinking they can use one against the other , ” Huntsman said .
“ What is the one thing that the Chinese Communist Party fears more than anything ?
They like control , they like domestic stability , they control the airwaves for the most part .
They hate transparency .
The more voices coordinated in this country , even at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what happened , and the lying , the cheating , the disinformation , and let ’ s be very clear about this .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
“ Early November we saw the first cases of coronavirus in China .
It wasn ’ t until late January that they actually reported the facts to the [ World Health Organization ] .
In the meantime , you probably have 5 million people who left the Hubei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was located , and they went throughout China , they went throughout the world .
That was probably the most significant mistake that China has made in recent years , and it ’ s the reason that we are where we are , ” Huntsman said .
Huntsman said what ’ s needed is “ transparency , a coordinated United States , voices in Congress , voices in the states , voices from the business community — because that ’ s when China really starts to listen , when it affects their economy.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 2009 to 2011 after serving four years as governor of Utah .
Huntsman also served as President Donald Trump ’ s ambassador to Russia before stepping down in August 2019 to explore a 2020 gubernatorial run .
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 .

China’s Communist Party fears transparency more than anything else, former U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman said Monday.
Huntsman praised a letter sent Monday by 18 attorneys general demanding a congressional investigation into China’s coverup of the coronavirus outbreak in its early stages, saying on Fox News that such an investigation is necessary.
“Well, I’ll tell you why this letter is such an important one, by these attorneys general. The Chinese have invested a lot in their relationship-building in our nation’s capital. But they’ve also spent a lot of time and resources — listen to me, we have 350,000 Chinese students at our universities across this great country — they have also invested in state-by-state relationships, thinking they can use one against the other,” Huntsman said.
“What is the one thing that the Chinese Communist Party fears more than anything? They like control, they like domestic stability, they control the airwaves for the most part. They hate transparency. The more voices coordinated in this country, even at the state level, that speak out about what happened, and the lying, the cheating, the disinformation, and let’s be very clear about this.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“Early November we saw the first cases of coronavirus in China. It wasn’t until late January that they actually reported the facts to the [World Health Organization]. In the meantime, you probably have 5 million people who left the Hubei province, which is where the epicenter was located, and they went throughout China, they went throughout the world. That was probably the most significant mistake that China has made in recent years, and it’s the reason that we are where we are,” Huntsman said.
Huntsman said what’s needed is “transparency, a coordinated United States, voices in Congress, voices in the states, voices from the business community — because that’s when China really starts to listen, when it affects their economy.”
Huntsman served as ambassador to China from 2009 to 2011 after serving four years as governor of Utah. Huntsman also served as President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Russia before stepping down in August 2019 to explore a 2020 gubernatorial run.
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--2020-05-12--The Last Gasp of NeverTrump Christians

The Last Gasp of NeverTrump Christians

So NeverTrump neocon dead-ender , the Baghdad Bob of that movement , David French , has attacked Eric Metaxas .
Again .
And with him , every Christian who supports Donald Trump against his real-world opponents .
French did this even after meeting Metaxas and holding a friendly debate with him a few weeks ago .
No , French didn ’ t say anything new .
He never does , nor even any old things in a new or interesting way .
French is stuck in a kind of computer glitch repeat mode , like the old Max Headroom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There was more excuse for Trump skepticism then ( in fact , I shared it ) .
There ’ s really none now .
Trump hasn ’ t acted lawlessly , groped any passing women , or shot people on Fifth Avenue to see if he could get away with it .
Nobody Shot on Fifth Avenue So Far In fact , Trump has governed well , if a little too much in line with the GOP establishment .
( Where ’ s the wall , Mr. President ?
Why haven ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) He has appointed better judges , by pro-life and pro-family standards , than any recent president .
Including Reagan .
Not one of the dire predictions hurled by GOP insiders in the build up to the 2016 vote has come to pass .
Not one .
For that reason alone , the whining that still comes from the Republican fainting couch has become a little tinny .
The last bead on the strand of pearls they ’ re clutching has fallen between the cushions .
Far more importantly , we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the victim of a Deep State coup attempt .
That coup claimed many innocent victims , including Gen. Michael Flynn .
Many of those still clinging to putative NeverTrump principles gave aid and comfort to that coup .
They boosted its phony claims , and echoed its false charges against innocent public servants .
This should be the moment when they publicly recant .
Instead , David French is doubling down .
He ’ s counting on stirring the self-torturing scrupulosity that bedevils some Christian hearts , along with the impulse toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself to write a full-length reply to French ’ s latest .
Instead I ’ ll point the curious reader to what I wrote last year under this irenic title : “ David ‘ Vichy ’ French Wants Christians to Surrender.
” My central point still stands , that NeverTrump Christians promote a grave political heresy .
They claim that It ’ s interesting that David French took exactly the opposite stance in the build up to the Iraq War .
Many conservatives ( I included ) warned that entering that quagmire and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than good .
We might upset the fragile ethnic/religious balance , and expose historic Christian communities to violent persecution .
And leave the country a broken puppet of the terror-masters in Teheran .
That we might besmirch America ’ s reputation , waste trillions of dollars and thousands of lives , but leave behind only burned-out churches .
And that ’ s exactly what happened .
At the time , people like David French accused us of folding our arms and refusing to engage in courageous action , lest we get our national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignore President Bush ’ s and President Obama ’ s joint failure to protect one of the world ’ s oldest Christian communities .
They minimize what a huge role the Iraq quagmire played in electing Barack Obama .
That catastrophe gave the left space to pack the court and impose same-sex marriage on America , with all the lost liberties for Christians here at home .
The same people would like to see Christians put back in the place reserved for us between 1996 and 2016 : begging for scraps from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Now that they face a Republican president who doesn ’ t hail from their political faction ( invade the world/invite the world neocons ) ?
These same people turn into exquisite political purists , afraid to eat a peach lest they stain their hands with the blood of that innocent fruit .
I ’ m not buying it .
And neither should you .
None of these people can explain their stance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and church historical examples pro-Trump Christians cite .
Let me remind you of just a few : In all these cases , Christian humbly accepted the time and place in history where God saw fit to place them .
And they acted to minimize evil , protect the most vulnerable , and maximize the good , within their limited powers .
That ’ s our calling — not virtue-signaling and preening from the sidelines as the world burns .
Again , the only exception to our duty to actively try to minimize evil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do anything that is itself intrinsically evil .
No NeverTrumper has ever been able to make a coherent case that voting for Donald Trump is evil .
Instead they blather and whimper , and blacken Trump ’ s name with vicious abandon , while white-washing or ignoring the character of … most other politicians through history .
( It ’ s the rare writer , I ’ ll say , who equates voting for Trump with shooting abortionists on the street — kudos for chutzpah to Ross Douthat there . )
God bless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sorority of Righteous Churchy Moralists ( Beta Dogma Stigma ) because he defends the virtue of prudence in dangerous times like these .
Eric had some help , of course .
Like me and Donald Trump , he had the grace to be born in Queens .
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 .

So NeverTrump neocon dead-ender, the Baghdad Bob of that movement, David French, has attacked Eric Metaxas. Again. And with him, every Christian who supports Donald Trump against his real-world opponents.
French did this even after meeting Metaxas and holding a friendly debate with him a few weeks ago. No, French didn’t say anything new. He never does, nor even any old things in a new or interesting way. French is stuck in a kind of computer glitch repeat mode, like the old Max Headroom, endlessly reliving the spring of 2016. There was more excuse for Trump skepticism then (in fact, I shared it). There’s really none now. Trump hasn’t acted lawlessly, groped any passing women, or shot people on Fifth Avenue to see if he could get away with it.
Nobody Shot on Fifth Avenue So Far
In fact, Trump has governed well, if a little too much in line with the GOP establishment. (Where’s the wall, Mr. President? Why haven’t you “locked her up”?) He has appointed better judges, by pro-life and pro-family standards, than any recent president. Including Reagan. Not one of the dire predictions hurled by GOP insiders in the build up to the 2016 vote has come to pass. Not one.
For that reason alone, the whining that still comes from the Republican fainting couch has become a little tinny. The last bead on the strand of pearls they’re clutching has fallen between the cushions.
Who Supported Obama’s Coup?
Far more importantly, we’ve just seen the proof that President Trump was the victim of a Deep State coup attempt. That coup claimed many innocent victims, including Gen. Michael Flynn. Many of those still clinging to putative NeverTrump principles gave aid and comfort to that coup. They boosted its phony claims, and echoed its false charges against innocent public servants. This should be the moment when they publicly recant.
Hard-nosed Iraq war hawks turned into exquisite political purists, afraid to eat a peach lest they stain their hands with the blood of that innocent fruit.
Instead, David French is doubling down. He’s counting on stirring the self-torturing scrupulosity that bedevils some Christian hearts, along with the impulse toward mock-martyrdom.
Surrender, and Collaborate
I can’t bestir myself to write a full-length reply to French’s latest. Instead I’ll point the curious reader to what I wrote last year under this irenic title: “David ‘Vichy’ French Wants Christians to Surrender.” My central point still stands, that NeverTrump Christians promote a grave political heresy. They claim that
Christian citizens discredit their faith and give scandal to the Gospel itself if they choose a lesser evil in public life. Instead of accepting a much greater evil, and keeping their hands “clean” by giving up any influence, even in self-defense.
It’s interesting that David French took exactly the opposite stance in the build up to the Iraq War. Many conservatives (I included) warned that entering that quagmire and occupying that country might do more harm than good. We might upset the fragile ethnic/religious balance, and expose historic Christian communities to violent persecution. And leave the country a broken puppet of the terror-masters in Teheran. That we might besmirch America’s reputation, waste trillions of dollars and thousands of lives, but leave behind only burned-out churches.
And that’s exactly what happened.
Hawks Morphed into Lovebirds
At the time, people like David French accused us of folding our arms and refusing to engage in courageous action, lest we get our national hands dirty. They gloss over or ignore President Bush’s and President Obama’s joint failure to protect one of the world’s oldest Christian communities. They minimize what a huge role the Iraq quagmire played in electing Barack Obama.
That catastrophe gave the left space to pack the court and impose same-sex marriage on America, with all the lost liberties for Christians here at home. The same people would like to see Christians put back in the place reserved for us between 1996 and 2016: begging for scraps from the GOP’s corporate/militarist table.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Now that they face a Republican president who doesn’t hail from their political faction (invade the world/invite the world neocons)? These same people turn into exquisite political purists, afraid to eat a peach lest they stain their hands with the blood of that innocent fruit.
Protecting the Weak in a Fallen World
I’m not buying it. And neither should you. None of these people can explain their stance in the light of the many biblical and church historical examples pro-Trump Christians cite. Let me remind you of just a few:
Constantine was no boy scout. He killed family members who threatened his rule. He left slavery and gladiatorial combat in place. Maybe Christians should have prissily refused his protection. … Should the Christians of Gaul have feared the Saracen invasion, and cooperated with the ruthless warlord Charles Martel?
Should Martin Luther have feared the Inquisition, and fled to the protection of the exploitative feudal lord Frederick III?
Was it un-Christian for the French Huguenots to fear the persecution of the Valois kings, and engage in bloody warfare in self-defense?
Were the Puritans un-Christian for fearing Anglican persecution, and fighting Charles I or fleeing to Holland?
In all these cases, Christian humbly accepted the time and place in history where God saw fit to place them. And they acted to minimize evil, protect the most vulnerable, and maximize the good, within their limited powers. That’s our calling — not virtue-signaling and preening from the sidelines as the world burns.
Is a Trump Ballot Like a Bullet?
Again, the only exception to our duty to actively try to minimize evil is this one: We may not do anything that is itself intrinsically evil. No NeverTrumper has ever been able to make a coherent case that voting for Donald Trump is evil. Instead they blather and whimper, and blacken Trump’s name with vicious abandon, while white-washing or ignoring the character of … most other politicians through history. (It’s the rare writer, I’ll say, who equates voting for Trump with shooting abortionists on the street — kudos for chutzpah to Ross Douthat there.)
God bless Eric Metaxas for getting himself black-balled by the sorority of Righteous Churchy Moralists (Beta Dogma Stigma) because he defends the virtue of prudence in dangerous times like these.
Eric had some help, of course. Like me and Donald Trump, he had the grace to be born in Queens.
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.