thestream--2020-10-03--Debates and What Really Matters

Debates and What Really Matters

There wasn ’ t much to say about the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden .
The lowest point may have been when Trump went after Biden ’ s son Hunter and his addiction struggles .
There are legitimate questions to be asked about Hunter Biden and his international dealings , but addiction is not the issue to raise on a national stage .
How many people have often hidden struggles they are too ashamed to ask for help for ?
Moments like that only make things worse .
This year , with all the necessary social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — hosted by the archbishop of New York — didn ’ t happen as usual .
In a normal year , the dinner brings presidential candidates and some New York glitterati together in an overcrowded ballroom , to put aside bitter partisanship for some good-humored fellowship in honor of Smith , the first Roman Catholic candidate for president .
Despite the challenges this year , the event did manage to transpire with its usual spirit .
Donald Trump and Joe Biden sent video messages — both of which drove me a little batty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listen to Biden talk about Catholic social teaching ’ s influence on his life when he ’ s as radical as they come these days on abortion , and he has the capital in his party to moderate its position if he cared to ; Trump ’ s bombast was as unpleasant as ever ) .
But the beautiful part is always the prayer .
Cardinal Timothy Dolan got Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to pray privately with him together last time around .
This time , I prayed for some national healing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s grace for two broken hearts — Joe Biden who lost a son and Donald Trump , who recently lost his brother .
It was a reminder in all the disagreements that we ’ re dealing with human beings .
About More Than Political War Amy Coney Barrett seems to understand that point .
Her focus on giving tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg during her remarks at the announcement of her nomination for Ginsburg ’ s seat on the Supreme Court was the right , human thing to do .
A woman has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mourning .
The flags were at half-staff .
This is about more than a political nuclear war .
Barrett ’ s announcement was a beautiful moment in America , if we can put politics aside for a moment .
She ’ s a woman of faith who takes it seriously .
She ’ s excelled in her career and is lauded by colleagues , students and teachers .
The Best of America I ’ ve heard young women say they were personally inspired to see her on the national stage , and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beautifully .
That she has adopted children , too , I think is such a blessing to the nation .
Vulnerable children so often go unseen .
They are even more hidden during the ongoing pandemic .
In the beauty of the Barrett family , we see the promise of our future , we see the best of America — hospitality and generosity .
Let ’ s Pray for One Another How can you care for vulnerable children in your community ?
Not everyone is going to adopt a child — or two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we do to support those who do , for instance ?
We all have a role to play in carrying out the promise of America , living up to the ideals of this country ’ s founding and the potential that still exists in its example , even in this somewhat benighted national climate .
These are all questions and ideas that should be on our minds .
Let ’ s not make everything about this presidential election that so many of us are glued to .
And let ’ s pray for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree with one another .
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 .

There wasn’t much to say about the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. The lowest point may have been when Trump went after Biden’s son Hunter and his addiction struggles. There are legitimate questions to be asked about Hunter Biden and his international dealings, but addiction is not the issue to raise on a national stage. How many people have often hidden struggles they are too ashamed to ask for help for? Moments like that only make things worse.
The Beautiful Part
This year, with all the necessary social distancing, the annual Al Smith Dinner — hosted by the archbishop of New York — didn’t happen as usual.
In a normal year, the dinner brings presidential candidates and some New York glitterati together in an overcrowded ballroom, to put aside bitter partisanship for some good-humored fellowship in honor of Smith, the first Roman Catholic candidate for president. Despite the challenges this year, the event did manage to transpire with its usual spirit.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Donald Trump and Joe Biden sent video messages — both of which drove me a little batty at times (I can’t listen to Biden talk about Catholic social teaching’s influence on his life when he’s as radical as they come these days on abortion, and he has the capital in his party to moderate its position if he cared to; Trump’s bombast was as unpleasant as ever).
But the beautiful part is always the prayer. Cardinal Timothy Dolan got Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to pray privately with him together last time around. This time, I prayed for some national healing as Cardinal Dolan called upon God’s grace for two broken hearts — Joe Biden who lost a son and Donald Trump, who recently lost his brother. It was a reminder in all the disagreements that we’re dealing with human beings.
About More Than Political War
Amy Coney Barrett seems to understand that point. Her focus on giving tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg during her remarks at the announcement of her nomination for Ginsburg’s seat on the Supreme Court was the right, human thing to do. A woman has died. She had family who are mourning. The flags were at half-staff. This is about more than a political nuclear war.
Barrett’s announcement was a beautiful moment in America, if we can put politics aside for a moment. She’s a woman of faith who takes it seriously. She’s excelled in her career and is lauded by colleagues, students and teachers.
The Best of America
I’ve heard young women say they were personally inspired to see her on the national stage, and to see a marriage and family represented so beautifully. That she has adopted children, too, I think is such a blessing to the nation. Vulnerable children so often go unseen. They are even more hidden during the ongoing pandemic. In the beauty of the Barrett family, we see the promise of our future, we see the best of America — hospitality and generosity.
Let’s Pray for One Another
How can you care for vulnerable children in your community? Not everyone is going to adopt a child — or two — from Haiti. But what can we do to support those who do, for instance? We all have a role to play in carrying out the promise of America, living up to the ideals of this country’s founding and the potential that still exists in its example, even in this somewhat benighted national climate.
These are all questions and ideas that should be on our minds. Let’s not make everything about this presidential election that so many of us are glued to. And let’s pray for one another, whether or not we agree with one another.
Kathryn Jean Lopez is senior fellow at the National Review Institute, editor-at-large of National Review magazine and author of the new book A Year With the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living. She is also chair of Cardinal Dolan’s pro-life commission in New York. She can be contacted at [email protected].


thestream--2020-10-03--Watch: Former Homicide Detective J. Warner Wallace Talks Law Enforcement From a Christian Perspectiv

Watch: Former Homicide Detective J. Warner Wallace Talks Law Enforcement From a Christian Perspective

“ The solution is the Gospel , ” said J. Warner Wallace .
“ The Gospels change everything.
” Wallace @ @ @ @ @ former homicide detective for LA County and the author of Cold-Case Christianity : A Homicide @ @ @ @ @ the Gospels , addresses current issues with law enforcement , public perception of those issues @ @ @ @ @ done about it .
His work has been featured on Dateline , Fox News and @ @ @ @ @ an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and @ @ @ @ @ .

“The solution is the Gospel,” said J. Warner Wallace. “The Gospels change everything.”
Wallace, a Christian, a former homicide detective for LA County and the author of Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels, addresses current issues with law enforcement, public perception of those issues, and what can be done about it. His work has been featured on Dateline, Fox News and CourtTV.
Watch:
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-10-03--The Religion of Apocalyptic Environmentalism

“ I don ’ t want you to be hopeful .
I want you to panic .
I want you to act as you would in a crisis .
I want you to act as if our house is on fire .
Because it is.
” — Greta Thunberg , student activist Have you ever wondered why people are so drawn to apocalyptic environmentalism ?
Why do so many people believe the narrative that we are irreversibly destroying the environment and the world will end soon ?
There must be a good reason why stars Leonardo DiCaprio , activists like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upper-middle-class elites promote the doomsday scenario that modern civilization will end soon if we don ’ t make drastic changes .
The media certainly deserves some of the blame for misrepresenting the facts .
And politicians who promote apocalyptic scenarios to pass legislation are guilty too .
But there is a deeper reason .
According to humanist Michael Shellenberger , apocalyptic activists are promoting a new kind of secular religion : “ Environmentalism today is the dominant secular religion of the educated , upper-middle-class elite in most developing and many developing nations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ collective identity and individual purpose .
It designates good guys and bad guys , heroes and villains .
And it does so in the language of science , which provides it with legitimacy ” ( Apocalypse Never , 263 ) .
In other words , environmentalism has replaced the Christian religion in the west .
In the Christian tradition , humans have failed to be in proper relationship with God .
In apocalyptic environmentalism , humans have failed to be in proper relationship with nature .
Rather than looking to priests to interpret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for authority .
Recycling has replaced communion as a “ spiritual ” practice .
And rather than yearning for Heaven , when we are at peace with God and others , apocalyptic environmentalists encourage us to yearn for a future state when we are at peace with nature .
In sum , apocalyptic environmentalism borrows the trappings of the Christian worldview — sin , redemption , rites , salvation , good vs. evil — but tells a different story about reality .
According to Shellenberger , apocalyptic environmentalism provides people with a grand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so they can find meaning in their lives .
Seems right to me .
As humans , we need purpose .
We need to feel like we are part of a bigger story .
If we don ’ t find meaning and purpose in the way God intended us to , we will find it somewhere else .
My suspicion is that many environmental evangelists are unaware of the religion they are propagating .
They sincerely believe the narrative and promote it for the benefit of mankind .
And many think they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ superstition or fantasy .
But they are promoting a religion , nonetheless , and many of their claims are not supported by science .
It should be obvious that I am not critiquing religion per se .
I am a Christian who believes God calls us to practice a kind of religion that genuinely loves and cares for people — and especially those who are marginalized ( James 1:27 ) .
But apocalyptic environmentalism is a religion too .
Let ’ s stop pretending otherwise .
If you are looking for evidence that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the updated and revised Evidence that Demands A Verdict ( co-written with Josh McDowell ) Sean McDowell , Ph.D. , is a professor of Christian Apologetics at Biola University , the National Spokesman for Summit Ministries , a best-selling author , popular speaker , and part-time high school teacher .
Follow him on Twitter , TikTok , Instagram , and his blog : seanmcdowell.org .

“I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is.” — Greta Thunberg, student activist
Have you ever wondered why people are so drawn to apocalyptic environmentalism? Why do so many people believe the narrative that we are irreversibly destroying the environment and the world will end soon? There must be a good reason why stars Leonardo DiCaprio, activists like Greta Thunberg, and so many other upper-middle-class elites promote the doomsday scenario that modern civilization will end soon if we don’t make drastic changes.
The media certainly deserves some of the blame for misrepresenting the facts. And politicians who promote apocalyptic scenarios to pass legislation are guilty too.
The Deeper Reason
But there is a deeper reason. According to humanist Michael Shellenberger, apocalyptic activists are promoting a new kind of secular religion:
“Environmentalism today is the dominant secular religion of the educated, upper-middle-class elite in most developing and many developing nations. It provides a new story about our collective identity and individual purpose. It designates good guys and bad guys, heroes and villains. And it does so in the language of science, which provides it with legitimacy” (Apocalypse Never, 263).
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
In other words, environmentalism has replaced the Christian religion in the west. In the Christian tradition, humans have failed to be in proper relationship with God. In apocalyptic environmentalism, humans have failed to be in proper relationship with nature. Rather than looking to priests to interpret Scripture, apocalyptic environmentalists look to scientists for authority. Recycling has replaced communion as a “spiritual” practice. And rather than yearning for Heaven, when we are at peace with God and others, apocalyptic environmentalists encourage us to yearn for a future state when we are at peace with nature.
In sum, apocalyptic environmentalism borrows the trappings of the Christian worldview — sin, redemption, rites, salvation, good vs. evil — but tells a different story about reality. According to Shellenberger, apocalyptic environmentalism provides people with a grand story of which they are the heroes, so they can find meaning in their lives.
Environmental Evangelists
Seems right to me. As humans, we need purpose. We need to feel like we are part of a bigger story. If we don’t find meaning and purpose in the way God intended us to, we will find it somewhere else.
My suspicion is that many environmental evangelists are unaware of the religion they are propagating. They sincerely believe the narrative and promote it for the benefit of mankind. And many think they are merely adhering to science, not superstition or fantasy. But they are promoting a religion, nonetheless, and many of their claims are not supported by science.
It should be obvious that I am not critiquing religion per se. I am a Christian who believes God calls us to practice a kind of religion that genuinely loves and cares for people — and especially those who are marginalized (James 1:27).
But apocalyptic environmentalism is a religion too. Let’s stop pretending otherwise.
If you are looking for evidence that the Christian religion is true, check out the updated and revised Evidence that Demands A Verdict (co-written with Josh McDowell)
Sean McDowell, Ph.D., is a professor of Christian Apologetics at Biola University, the National Spokesman for Summit Ministries, a best-selling author, popular speaker, and part-time high school teacher. Follow him on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and his blog: seanmcdowell.org.
Originally published at SeanMcDowell.org. Reprinted with permission.


thestream--2020-10-03--What Happened at the Debate and What Christians Should Do Moving Forward

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

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


thestream--2020-10-04--Twitter Will Remove Tweets That Wish Trump Dead (Allegedly)

Twitter will remove tweets wishing for President Donald Trump ’ s death following his and first lady Melania Trump ’ s Thursday coronavirus diagnosis , the social media giant told Motherboard .
“ Content that wishes , hopes or expresses a desire for death , serious bodily harm or fatal disease against an individual is against our rules , ” Twitter told Motherboard , which is part of Vice Media .
The company added that the months-old rule applies to posts about the president , and Tweets that violate the policy will be removed .
The social media platform also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to engage in the prohibited behavior will be targeted .
“ [ We ] won ’ t take enforcement action on every Tweet , ” Twitter told Motherboard .
“ We ’ re prioritizing the removal of content when it has a clear call to action that could potentially cause real-world harm.
” Zara Rahim , who identifies herself as a previous staffer for former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , wrote “ I hope he dies ” in reference to Trump in a now-deleted tweet .
Cody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 180,000 followers , tweeted that he thinks Trump ’ s diagnosis is “ funny ” and those that agree with him should tell others that they “ hope the president dies from the virus.
” Johnson ’ s tweet was still live as of Saturday afternoon .
Meanwhile , others , including left-wing figures , have wished the president well during his sickness .
“ God bless the president and the first lady , ” MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow tweeted Friday .
“ If you pray , please pray for their speedy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected , everywhere.
” “ This virus is horrific and merciless — no one would wish its wrath on anyone , ” she continued .
“ We must get its spread under control .
Enough.
” President Obama also tweeted well wishes for the president and first lady .
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 .

Twitter will remove tweets wishing for President Donald Trump’s death following his and first lady Melania Trump’s Thursday coronavirus diagnosis, the social media giant told Motherboard.
“Content that wishes, hopes or expresses a desire for death, serious bodily harm or fatal disease against an individual is against our rules,” Twitter told Motherboard, which is part of Vice Media. The company added that the months-old rule applies to posts about the president, and Tweets that violate the policy will be removed.
The social media platform also added that not all tweets that appear to engage in the prohibited behavior will be targeted.
“[We] won’t take enforcement action on every Tweet,” Twitter told Motherboard. “We’re prioritizing the removal of content when it has a clear call to action that could potentially cause real-world harm.”
Zara Rahim, who identifies herself as a previous staffer for former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, wrote “I hope he dies” in reference to Trump in a now-deleted tweet.
She tried to delete her horrible tweet but @ZaraRahim is a communications person so she knows, the internet is forever. After finding out Trump had coronavirus, the former Obama WH staffer and Clinton National Spokeswoman tweeted "I hope he dies". pic.twitter.com/ZQ9cRjb7P7 — Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) October 2, 2020
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Cody Johnson, a podcast host and nearly 180,000 followers, tweeted that he thinks Trump’s diagnosis is “funny” and those that agree with him should tell others that they “hope the president dies from the virus.”
Johnson’s tweet was still live as of Saturday afternoon.
If someone tries to scold you for thinking this is funny, simply tell them that you hope the president dies from the virus. — Cody Johnston (@drmistercody) October 2, 2020
Meanwhile, others, including left-wing figures, have wished the president well during his sickness.
“God bless the president and the first lady,” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow tweeted Friday. “If you pray, please pray for their speedy and complete recovery — and for everyone infected, everywhere.”
“This virus is horrific and merciless — no one would wish its wrath on anyone,” she continued. “We must get its spread under control. Enough.”
God bless the president and the first lady. If you pray, please pray for their speedy and complete recovery — and for everyone infected, everywhere. This virus is horrific and merciless — no one would wish its wrath on anyone. We must get its spread under control. Enough. — Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) October 2, 2020
President Obama also tweeted well wishes for the president and first lady.
Obviously, we’re in the midst of a big political battle right now, and while there’s a lot at stake, let’s remember that we’re all Americans. We’re all human beings. And we want everyone to be healthy, no matter our party. — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 2, 2020
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--2020-10-04--Jesus’s Two Big Lessons About Politics

Jesus’s Two Big Lessons About Politics

If we take the lordship of Christ in our lives seriously , we must apply that lordship to our politics .
We must think carefully about how we can act in a responsible and loving way in the light of both our vertical relationship to God and our horizontal relationships with fellow image bearers .
Readers will think right away about questions such as abortion , immigration , racism , social justice .
I think it is useful to think in terms of the brotherhood and sisterhood of men and women under the Fatherhood of God .
Two major points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to do with how we view government .
Jesus faced a hostile audience eager to trip him up with a question that would expose him to scorn .
As a teacher of all that is “ true , ” would he pay taxes to Caesar ?
He asked for a coin and contemplated what was engraved upon it .
He saw the image of Caesar and answered , “ Render unto Caesar what is Caesar ’ s and to God what is God ’ s. ” Jesus says there is a place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rightful task and a duty it should fulfill .
But bringing God into consideration introduces a new dimension .
The idea and reality of a Caesar is a grand and mighty thing , but placing God next to him puts his stature into perspective .
This Caesar is not God .
He will be like all the others .
Earthly kingdoms will crumble and statues will erode .
Their real significance is that they reflect ( often badly ) God ’ s greater rule .
“ Render unto Caesar what is Caesar ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s. ” A rightful zone of activity belongs to the government , but God rules the whole .
Never confuse the government with the Authority behind all authorities .
When governments go beyond merely tolerating sin and instead celebrate it , they hack away at legs of their own thrones .
And when governments seek to force Christians to say that Caesar is Lord and Jesus is not , we must say with the apostles ( and martyrs throughout history ) that we obey God rather than men .
The second point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jesus .
It flows directly from the first .
We cherish our democracy .
We value having a government whose authority depends upon our consent .
But we must remember not to think that Jesus has left earthly government to us alone .
In Matthew chapters 24 and 25 , Jesus definitively declares his kingship .
He will sit on a glorious throne , not as some local chieftain presiding over a tribe , or even as a great emperor of many lands .
He will sit on the throne as the King @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gathered before him .
One of the great lessons of the miserable experience of Israel ’ s monarchy ( one that God warned the people against ) is that there is only one man truly worthy to rule .
That man is Jesus Christ .
All real authority derives from God .
As much as we become excited over politics , and no matter how important an election is , we should be far more attentive to the reality of the kingship of Jesus Christ .
Christ ’ s rule may seem remote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us than politics , and more important than politics .
His reign is like the heaven C. S. Lewis depicted in The Great Divorce .
It is real .
It is joyously , dangerously , thrillingly , devastatingly real .
We are mere shadows before its light if we are separated from our true Lord .
It is the one light in which we should see everything , including earthly politics .
I have studied politics most of my life .
Like so many , I have lived and died over the many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaigns and legislative battles .
But the older I get , the more clear it is to me that the most significant thing I have to say about politics is this : that Jesus Christ is King .
Those are the words that should be burning within us .
“ What Jesus Teaches Us About Politics ” is a shorter version of an article that appeared on the publisher Crossway ’ s website , and is used with the author ’ s permission .

If we take the lordship of Christ in our lives seriously, we must apply that lordship to our politics. We must think carefully about how we can act in a responsible and loving way in the light of both our vertical relationship to God and our horizontal relationships with fellow image bearers.
Readers will think right away about questions such as abortion, immigration, racism, social justice. I think it is useful to think in terms of the brotherhood and sisterhood of men and women under the Fatherhood of God. Two major points shine through Scripture.
How We View Government
The first point has to do with how we view government. Jesus faced a hostile audience eager to trip him up with a question that would expose him to scorn. As a teacher of all that is “true,” would he pay taxes to Caesar?
He asked for a coin and contemplated what was engraved upon it. He saw the image of Caesar and answered, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
Jesus says there is a place for the government. It has a rightful task and a duty it should fulfill. But bringing God into consideration introduces a new dimension. The idea and reality of a Caesar is a grand and mighty thing, but placing God next to him puts his stature into perspective.
This Caesar is not God. He will be like all the others. Earthly kingdoms will crumble and statues will erode. Their real significance is that they reflect (often badly) God’s greater rule. “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
A rightful zone of activity belongs to the government, but God rules the whole. Never confuse the government with the Authority behind all authorities. When governments go beyond merely tolerating sin and instead celebrate it, they hack away at legs of their own thrones. And when governments seek to force Christians to say that Caesar is Lord and Jesus is not, we must say with the apostles (and martyrs throughout history) that we obey God rather than men.
Jesus’s Kingship
The second point has to do with how we view Jesus. It flows directly from the first. We cherish our democracy. We value having a government whose authority depends upon our consent. But we must remember not to think that Jesus has left earthly government to us alone.
In Matthew chapters 24 and 25, Jesus definitively declares his kingship. He will sit on a glorious throne, not as some local chieftain presiding over a tribe, or even as a great emperor of many lands. He will sit on the throne as the King over all the nations with their people gathered before him.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
One of the great lessons of the miserable experience of Israel’s monarchy (one that God warned the people against) is that there is only one man truly worthy to rule. That man is Jesus Christ. All real authority derives from God.
As much as we become excited over politics, and no matter how important an election is, we should be far more attentive to the reality of the kingship of Jesus Christ. Christ’s rule may seem remote. But it’s closer to us than politics, and more important than politics.
More Real Than Politics
His reign is like the heaven C. S. Lewis depicted in The Great Divorce. It is real. It is joyously, dangerously, thrillingly, devastatingly real. We are mere shadows before its light if we are separated from our true Lord. It is the one light in which we should see everything, including earthly politics.
I have studied politics most of my life. Like so many, I have lived and died over the many victories and defeats that come with modern campaigns and legislative battles. But the older I get, the more clear it is to me that the most significant thing I have to say about politics is this: that Jesus Christ is King. Those are the words that should be burning within us.
“What Jesus Teaches Us About Politics” is a shorter version of an article that appeared on the publisher Crossway’s website, and is used with the author’s permission.
Hunter Baker, J.D., Ph.D. is the dean of arts and sciences at Union University. He is an affiliate scholar of the Acton Institute and a fellow of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.”


thestream--2020-10-05--St. Francis Didn’t Love Animals

St. Francis Didn’t Love Animals

St. Francis of Assisi didn ’ t love animals .
At least not in the way you think .
Many Christians around the world remember him on this day .
But not everyone remembers the real Francis .
Most people — most secular people — seem to picture him as the perfect hippie .
He lived in tune with nature , thought well of everyone , didn ’ t judge anyone , didn ’ t want much , just liked to live a simple life .
And of course he loved animals .
Unlike modern hippies , he didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ liberate ” things he wanted that belonged to other people .
A cool guy .
Moderns see him “ as a figure in secular history and a model of social virtues , ” G.K. Chesterton said in his book , St. Francis of Assisi , as “ a humanitarian hero ; indeed as the first hero of humanism.
” He wrote the book in 1923 , and already the culture had turned the saint into someone he wasn ’ t — someone most people liked a great deal more than they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the real Francis was awfully religious .
He lived the kind of life that makes people question their own , and few of us like that .
The less Christian you are , the less you ’ re going to like someone who loved God as much as Francis did .
But he was still such a cool guy to remember .
Especially the stuff with the animals .
So his modern followers , Chesterton wrote , treated his religion as something everyone did back then .
Nothing we need think about now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a superstition , but an inevitable superstition , from which not even genius could wholly free itself.
” He couldn ’ t help being like that .
“ It would be unjust to condemn St. Francis for his self denial or unduly chide him for his chastity.
” People then and people now get Francis very wrong , because they leave out his faith .
He was as sold out to God as probably anyone in human history .
Jesus ’ s instructions to seek first the Kingdom of God , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harder instruction to sell all you have , give it to the poor , and follow Jesus with nothing ?
He did that too .
When he took up his new life following Jesus , he walked away from home naked .
He never stopped depending totally on God for everything .
He showed the most radical trust in God .
I won ’ t go over the story here , but it ’ s amazing .
If you want to know more , Wikipedia ’ s entry on Francis is surprising good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the animals .
People think St. Francis loved animals .
It would be truer to say that animals loved St. Francis .
Because Francis loved God .
His follower St. Bonaventure explained this in the life of Francis he wrote about forty years after Francis died .
When Francis thought about the God who ’ d created both man and animal , “ he was filled with an overflowing charity .
He would call the animals , however small , by the names of brother and sister , because he recognized in them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francis wasn ’ t an animal-lover the way we think of animal-lovers .
He loved animals not first for themselves , but because God created them too .
He really loved the ones that pointed him to God .
Bonaventure explains that “ He loved with an special warmth and tenderness those creatures that point to the holy gentleness of Christ , and that Scripture uses to point to Him.
” He would often save the life of a lamb about to be killed , because it reminded him of “ that most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the slaughter for the redemption of sinners.
” Bonaventure concluded : “ The holiness of this blessed man was of such wondrous sweetness and might as that it conquered wild beasts , tamed woodland creatures , and taught tame ones , and inclined animals that had revolted from fallen man , to obey him .
This kind of faithfulness allies all creatures with itself.
” St. Francis ’ s way of loving animals gives us a model .
By loving God first , he puts animals in their place .
Weird things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We treat them as “ fur babies , ” as if they were as important as human beings .
Worse , people can give them almost mystical capacities .
Chesterton ’ s famous detective Father Brown explained this in a story called “ The Oracle of the Dog.
” Everyone else gets the murderer wrong because they read too much into a dog ’ s barking .
They thought he had some special mystic insight into guilt .
I have been with people who judged other people by the way their dog or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who knows animals know that dogs love even the worst people and cats hate everyone .
Father Brown didn ’ t make that mistake .
He loved and knew God .
That meant he saw the dog as a dog and knew why he barked .
He let dog be dog , you might say .
Because he let God be God .
Their mystical mistake about the dog was one effect of a modern trend , he explained .
“ People readily swallow the untested claims of this , that , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all your old rationalism and skepticism , it ’ s coming in like a sea ; and the name of it is superstition.
” The priest stands up , frowning .
“ It ’ s the first effect of not believing in God that you lose your common sense and can ’ t see things as they are .
Anything that anybody talks about , and says there ’ s a good deal in it , extends itself indefinitely like a vista in a nightmare , ” he says .
The quotations from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been modernized .
David Mills is a senior editor of The Stream .
After teaching writing in a seminary , he has been editor of Touchstone and the executive editor of First Things .
He edits the site Hour of Our Death and writes a weekly column for The Catholic Herald .

St. Francis of Assisi didn’t love animals. At least not in the way you think. Many Christians around the world remember him on this day. But not everyone remembers the real Francis.
Most people — most secular people — seem to picture him as the perfect hippie. He lived in tune with nature, thought well of everyone, didn’t judge anyone, didn’t want much, just liked to live a simple life. And of course he loved animals. Unlike modern hippies, he didn’t use drugs and sleep around and “liberate” things he wanted that belonged to other people. A cool guy.
Moderns see him “as a figure in secular history and a model of social virtues,” G.K. Chesterton said in his book, St. Francis of Assisi, as “a humanitarian hero; indeed as the first hero of humanism.” He wrote the book in 1923, and already the culture had turned the saint into someone he wasn’t — someone most people liked a great deal more than they would have liked the real Francis.
Awfully Religious
Because the real Francis was awfully religious. He lived the kind of life that makes people question their own, and few of us like that. The less Christian you are, the less you’re going to like someone who loved God as much as Francis did. But he was still such a cool guy to remember. Especially the stuff with the animals.
For more on Francis, see David’s article on how our pets can help us live more like Jesus.
So his modern followers, Chesterton wrote, treated his religion as something everyone did back then. Nothing we need think about now. “His religion can be regarded as a superstition, but an inevitable superstition, from which not even genius could wholly free itself.” He couldn’t help being like that. “It would be unjust to condemn St. Francis for his self denial or unduly chide him for his chastity.”
People then and people now get Francis very wrong, because they leave out his faith. He was as sold out to God as probably anyone in human history.
Jesus’s instructions to seek first the Kingdom of God, he did that. Completely. The even harder instruction to sell all you have, give it to the poor, and follow Jesus with nothing? He did that too. When he took up his new life following Jesus, he walked away from home naked. He never stopped depending totally on God for everything.
He showed the most radical trust in God. I won’t go over the story here, but it’s amazing. If you want to know more, Wikipedia’s entry on Francis is surprising good.
The Animals Loved Him
I want to get back to the animals. People think St. Francis loved animals. It would be truer to say that animals loved St. Francis. Because Francis loved God.
His follower St. Bonaventure explained this in the life of Francis he wrote about forty years after Francis died. When Francis thought about the God who’d created both man and animal, “he was filled with an overflowing charity. He would call the animals, however small, by the names of brother and sister, because he recognized in them the same origin as in himself.”
Francis wasn’t an animal-lover the way we think of animal-lovers. He loved animals not first for themselves, but because God created them too. He really loved the ones that pointed him to God.
Bonaventure explains that “He loved with an special warmth and tenderness those creatures that point to the holy gentleness of Christ, and that Scripture uses to point to Him.” He would often save the life of a lamb about to be killed, because it reminded him of “that most gentle Lamb Who let himself be brought to the slaughter for the redemption of sinners.”
Bonaventure concluded: “The holiness of this blessed man was of such wondrous sweetness and might as that it conquered wild beasts, tamed woodland creatures, and taught tame ones, and inclined animals that had revolted from fallen man, to obey him. This kind of faithfulness allies all creatures with itself.”
The Real Animals
St. Francis’s way of loving animals gives us a model. By loving God first, he puts animals in their place. Weird things happen when we don’t. We treat them as “fur babies,” as if they were as important as human beings. Worse, people can give them almost mystical capacities.
Chesterton’s famous detective Father Brown explained this in a story called “The Oracle of the Dog.” Everyone else gets the murderer wrong because they read too much into a dog’s barking. They thought he had some special mystic insight into guilt. I have been with people who judged other people by the way their dog or cat reacted to them. When anyone who knows animals know that dogs love even the worst people and cats hate everyone.
Father Brown didn’t make that mistake. He loved and knew God. That meant he saw the dog as a dog and knew why he barked. He let dog be dog, you might say. Because he let God be God.
Their mystical mistake about the dog was one effect of a modern trend, he explained. “People readily swallow the untested claims of this, that, or the other. It’s drowning all your old rationalism and skepticism, it’s coming in like a sea; and the name of it is superstition.”
The First Effect
The priest stands up, frowning. “It’s the first effect of not believing in God that you lose your common sense and can’t see things as they are. Anything that anybody talks about, and says there’s a good deal in it, extends itself indefinitely like a vista in a nightmare,” he says.
And a dog is an omen, and a cat is a mystery, and a pig is a mascot and a beetle is a scarab, calling up all the menagerie of polytheism from Egypt and old India; Dog Anubis and great green-eyed Pasht and all the holy howling Bulls of Bashan; reeling back to the bestial gods of the beginning, escaping into elephants and snakes and crocodiles; and all because you are frightened of four words: “He was made Man.”
The quotations from Bonaventure’s life of Francis have been modernized.
David Mills is a senior editor of The Stream. After teaching writing in a seminary, he has been editor of Touchstone and the executive editor of First Things. He edits the site Hour of Our Death and writes a weekly column for The Catholic Herald.


thestream--2020-10-04--President Trump Posts Upbeat Video and Does Drive-By Past Supporters

You know all the media ghouls reporting anonymous sources saying President Trump is far sicker than the White House is saying ?
As the old saying goes , reports of his doom are greatly exaggerated .
Or at the very least nobody bothered to tell Trump .
The president released a video late this afternoon looking and sounding great , if also sounding a bit humbled by his bout with COVID .
“ It ’ s been a very interesting journey , ” he said .
“ I learned a lot about COVID .
I learned it by really going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school , this isn ’ t the ‘ Let ’ s read the book ’ school .
I get it and I understand it .
It ’ s a very interesting thing.
” Trump added he ’ d be telling the American people more about his experience .
( Not to make light , but he had the same tone and energy as a biology student telling friends about his first frog dissection . )
But first Trump had a little surprise .
He was going to pay a visit to the mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reed Army Medical Center .
And sure enough , Trump took a spin in the presidential limousine past the cheering crowd .
This is not the first time during his hospital stay Trump has honored his supporters .
Friday night , he sent aides out to bring those gathered outside chocolate .
Naturally , the media already has gone apoplectic over Trump ’ s drive-by .
CNN is moaning about the danger the president put his Secret Service agents in … ignoring the fact the Secret Service is always around the president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ quoting a “ Walter Reed attending physician ” blasting Trump ’ s visit , saying the “ irresponsibility is astounding.
” What The Hill leaves out is this same doctor is a Never Trumper , who only three weeks ago was calling on Trump to resign .
( Thank you , Taufiq Rahim for the catch ) A textbook case of journalistic malpractice .
While the MSM hyperventilates — rather than celebrates the fact the President of the United States seems to be beating a potentially deadly virus , Jack Posobiec makes an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with COVID and he ’ s still done more appearances today than Joe Biden .
Indeed , Joe Biden ’ s campaign announced a lid at 9 a.m. this morning .
COVID or no COVID , this president does not do lids .

You know all the media ghouls reporting anonymous sources saying President Trump is far sicker than the White House is saying? As the old saying goes, reports of his doom are greatly exaggerated. Or at the very least nobody bothered to tell Trump.
The president released a video late this afternoon looking and sounding great, if also sounding a bit humbled by his bout with COVID.
“It’s been a very interesting journey,” he said. “I learned a lot about COVID. I learned it by really going to school. This is the real school, this isn’t the ‘Let’s read the book’ school. I get it and I understand it. It’s a very interesting thing.”
WATCH:
Trump added he’d be telling the American people more about his experience. (Not to make light, but he had the same tone and energy as a biology student telling friends about his first frog dissection.)
But first Trump had a little surprise. He was going to pay a visit to the mass of supporters and well-wishers gathered outside Walter Reed Army Medical Center. And sure enough, Trump took a spin in the presidential limousine past the cheering crowd.
President @realDonaldTrump drives by his supporters outside Walter Reed to thank them!pic.twitter.com/LlJr7umi8O — Team Trump (Text VOTE to 88022) (@TeamTrump) October 4, 2020
This is not the first time during his hospital stay Trump has honored his supporters. Friday night, he sent aides out to bring those gathered outside chocolate.
Media Goes Into TDS Shock
Naturally, the media already has gone apoplectic over Trump’s drive-by. CNN is moaning about the danger the president put his Secret Service agents in … ignoring the fact the Secret Service is always around the president.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Also, outlets like The Hill are quoting a “Walter Reed attending physician” blasting Trump’s visit, saying the “irresponsibility is astounding.” What The Hill leaves out is this same doctor is a Never Trumper, who only three weeks ago was calling on Trump to resign. (Thank you, Taufiq Rahim for the catch) A textbook case of journalistic malpractice.
The President has a duty to the country to resign. — Dr. James P. Phillips, MD (@DrPhillipsMD) September 10, 2020
While the MSM hyperventilates — rather than celebrates the fact the President of the United States seems to be beating a potentially deadly virus, Jack Posobiec makes an interesting point: Trump is literally hospitalized with COVID and he’s still done more appearances today than Joe Biden.
Trump is literally hospitalized with covid and he's still done more appearances than Biden today — Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) October 4, 2020
Indeed, Joe Biden’s campaign announced a lid at 9 a.m. this morning.
COVID or no COVID, this president does not do lids.


thestream--2020-10-04--Ignore the Ghouls. Trump Will Beat the Coronadoom

So President Trump has caught the coronadoom , and many can not contain their glee .
An actor “ said it ’ s ‘ terrifying ’ the people who thought President Donald Trump was a fascist yesterday are wishing the president well.
” Actors have long been known as our most astute social and political commentators .
Which is why we never fail to listen to them .
And support them with an endless outpouring from our wallets .
It ’ s not just our nation ’ s most celebrated wishing our President unwell , it ’ s also various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked at George Soros ’ s Open Democracy Outlet , said , “ I don ’ t hope Trump dies from Covid .
I hope he dies from anything , I ’ m really not fussy.
” There isn ’ t space to quote from all the people on the left who act as if the culture war we are in is , in fact , a war .
Except to say that these folks should not act surprised if some day the favors are returned .
Some commentary on Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There ’ s nothing wrong with this .
Speculation is all we have ; it ’ s all the President ’ s doctors have , as well .
Doctors ’ treatments for most diseases are in many cases nothing more than hopeful , but authoritative , guesses .
The only sin against guessing is getting the uncertainty wrong .
The New York Times , for instance , speculates that We , too , have not examined Mr. Trump .
But since the Times has set the standard of allowing uninformed commentary on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illness , we ’ ll do the same .
Doug Axe , Jay Richards , and I explained in another piece that the president ’ s chances of recovery are very high .
Here , let ’ s put that risk in perspective , to show how unhinged the hysteria is around COVID-19 .
Mr. Trump is 74 .
The CDC says that 1.2 % people in his age bracket , 65-74 , have died this year from causes other than COVID-19 .
It also says 0.13 % of these people — ten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with , and not necessarily of , the coronavirus .
As long as we ’ re speculating , we might as well do so about Joe Biden , who is 77 .
In his age bracket , 75-84 years old , 2.9 % of Americans this age have died so far this year of causes other than COVID-19 .
And 0.32 % have died at least with the coronavirus .
In both age brackets , then , Americans have about a ten times greater risk of dying from something other than COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dying at rates about twice those in the younger bucket ( from any cause ) .
Which means what we always knew it means : Older people die more often than younger .
The difference here is that the president has tested positive for the coronavirus , and has been said to be experiencing “ mild ” symptoms .
The president ’ s weight is likely a strike against him .
Based on an item from the Drudge tabloid , the Times speculated the President may also have other unreported comorbidities .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health before the infection is as reported by his actual doctors , which is fine .
Having comorbidities is never good .
Of those those who died with the coronadoom , about four times as many had other illnesses , 22 % versus 6 % with no comorbidities , according to the CDC .
But these aren ’ t the right numbers to use to judge the president ’ s prognosis .
What we want to know is the infection fatality rate for people like him .
Nobody really knows this number yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in .
Some estimate it as high as 4.2 % for the President ’ s sex and age bracket .
But even that means a 95.8 % chance of recovery .
Some estimate women do about twice as well as men .
Thus , according to Gender Theory , if Trump changed his Mr. to Mrs. , she ’ d have a better chance of survival .
Again , a better guess is to use reports from Mr. Trump ’ s doctors .
On Saturday , Chief of Staff Mark Meadows at Walter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the doctors , “ The president is doing very well.
” He said he was “ cautiously optimistic ” about Trump ’ s progress , and that his symptoms were already “ resolving and improving.
” And the latest report on Sunday is that he ’ s doing well and could be released on Monday .
Trump is going to disappoint and surprise a lot of people if he lives .
But even the haters shouldn ’ t be surprised .
He ’ ll be doing what the vast majority of people infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Update : President Trump released a new video late this afternoon , looking and sounding fit as a fiddle .
He then paid a drive-by visit to the supporters and well-wishers gathered outside Walter Reed .
William Briggs is the author , with Jay W. Richards and Douglas Axe , of The Price of Panic : How the Tyranny of Experts Turned a Pandemic into a Catastrophe .

So President Trump has caught the coronadoom, and many cannot contain their glee.
An actor “said it’s ‘terrifying’ the people who thought President Donald Trump was a fascist yesterday are wishing the president well.” Actors have long been known as our most astute social and political commentators. Which is why we never fail to listen to them. And support them with an endless outpouring from our wallets.
It’s not just our nation’s most celebrated wishing our President unwell, it’s also various political figures. Eleanor Penny, who worked at George Soros’s Open Democracy Outlet, said, “I don’t hope Trump dies from Covid. I hope he dies from anything, I’m really not fussy.”
There isn’t space to quote from all the people on the left who act as if the culture war we are in is, in fact, a war. Except to say that these folks should not act surprised if some day the favors are returned.
Wishful Guessing
Some commentary on Trump’s condition is more refined, but speculative. There’s nothing wrong with this. Speculation is all we have; it’s all the President’s doctors have, as well. Doctors’ treatments for most diseases are in many cases nothing more than hopeful, but authoritative, guesses. The only sin against guessing is getting the uncertainty wrong.
The New York Times, for instance, speculates that
Mr. Trump’s persistent refusal to wear a mask may also change the course of his illness; if he became infected while his face was uncovered, he may have been exposed to a greater concentration of virus, which also raises his risk for severe disease, according to experts who have not examined him but were able to speak generally about patients like him.
We, too, have not examined Mr. Trump. But since the Times has set the standard of allowing uninformed commentary on the course of the President’s illness, we’ll do the same.
In both age brackets, then, Americans have about a ten times greater risk of dying from something other than COVID-19. But those in the older bucket are dying at rates about twice those in the younger bucket (from any cause).
Not-So-Hard Numbers
Doug Axe, Jay Richards, and I explained in another piece that the president’s chances of recovery are very high. Here, let’s put that risk in perspective, to show how unhinged the hysteria is around COVID-19. Mr. Trump is 74. The CDC says that 1.2% people in his age bracket, 65-74, have died this year from causes other than COVID-19. It also says 0.13% of these people — ten times fewer — have died at least with, and not necessarily of, the coronavirus.
As long as we’re speculating, we might as well do so about Joe Biden, who is 77. In his age bracket, 75-84 years old, 2.9% of Americans this age have died so far this year of causes other than COVID-19. And 0.32% have died at least with the coronavirus.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
In both age brackets, then, Americans have about a ten times greater risk of dying from something other than COVID-19. But those in the older bucket are dying at rates about twice those in the younger bucket (from any cause).
Which means what we always knew it means: Older people die more often than younger.
The difference here is that the president has tested positive for the coronavirus, and has been said to be experiencing “mild” symptoms.
The president’s weight is likely a strike against him. Based on an item from the Drudge tabloid, the Times speculated the President may also have other unreported comorbidities. We are thus free to speculate that his health before the infection is as reported by his actual doctors, which is fine.
Having comorbidities is never good. Of those who died with the coronadoom, about four times as many had other illnesses, 22% versus 6% with no comorbidities, according to the CDC.
Excellent Prognosis
But these aren’t the right numbers to use to judge the president’s prognosis. What we want to know is the infection fatality rate for people like him. Nobody really knows this number yet, since all the data are not in. Some estimate it as high as 4.2% for the President’s sex and age bracket.
But even that means a 95.8% chance of recovery.
Some estimate women do about twice as well as men. Thus, according to Gender Theory, if Trump changed his Mr. to Mrs., she’d have a better chance of survival.
Again, a better guess is to use reports from Mr. Trump’s doctors. On Saturday, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows at Walter Reed Medical Center said, based on reports from the doctors, “The president is doing very well.” He said he was “cautiously optimistic” about Trump’s progress, and that his symptoms were already “resolving and improving.”
And the latest report on Sunday is that he’s doing well and could be released on Monday.
Trump is going to disappoint and surprise a lot of people if he lives. But even the haters shouldn’t be surprised. He’ll be doing what the vast majority of people infected with this virus do: survive it.
Update: President Trump released a new video late this afternoon, looking and sounding fit as a fiddle. He then paid a drive-by visit to the supporters and well-wishers gathered outside Walter Reed.
President @realDonaldTrump drives by his supporters outside Walter Reed to thank them!pic.twitter.com/LlJr7umi8O — Team Trump (Text VOTE to 88022) (@TeamTrump) October 4, 2020
William Briggs is the author, with Jay W. Richards and Douglas Axe, of The Price of Panic: How the Tyranny of Experts Turned a Pandemic into a Catastrophe.


thestream--2020-10-04--Join the ‘Call to Prayer’ for the President at 5 P.M. Eastern

Let us gather together to pray for President , currently hospitalized in a fight against COVID-19 .
At 5 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ to Prayer ” event will be taking place live on President Trump ’ s Facebook @ @ @ @ @ Trump will be hosting .
Among those taking part are faith leaders Pastor Paula White-Cain @ @ @ @ @ Pastor Jentezen Franklin , Pastor Ramiro Pena , and Bishop Harry Jackson .
To join @ @ @ @ @ to https : //www.facebook.com/DonaldTrump Or click on the image below .
Thankfully , as of @ @ @ @ @ say President Trump continues to improve , and is up and walking around with no @ @ @ @ @ oxygen .
If he continues to improve , White House physician Steve Conley says the @ @ @ @ @ from Walter Reed Army Medical Center .
However , as the president himself said Saturday @ @ @ @ @ days still remain critical in the fight to beat the virus .

At 5 p.m., a “Call to Prayer” event will be taking place live on President Trump’s Facebook page. His daughter-in-law Lara Trump will be hosting. Among those taking part are faith leaders Stream Publisher James Robison, Pastor Paula White, Danny & Leyicet Gokey, Dr. Jack Graham, Bishop Kelvin Cobaris, Dr. David Jeremiah, Marcus Lamb, Pastor Tony Perkins and Brian Johnson and many others.
To join in the prayer, go to https://www.facebook.com/DonaldTrump