thestream--2020-11-06--Michele Bachmann: Will You Join Me in Praying for America?

In the aftermath of the election , what is going on in the battleground states of Pennsylvania , Michigan , Wisconsin , Georgia , North Carolina , Arizona , and Nevada is nothing short of wicked .
Just last night , Arizona was moved from the “ blue ” column to the “ white ” toss-up column .
Our prayers are availing much !
It is now up to the Body of Christ to step up .
What if we mobilize a mighty intercessory prayer army to storm the gates of heaven on behalf of the voters of these states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judgment on our nation and let it fall under the weight of its own wicked devices , then so be it .
I can rest in Him knowing that I left it all on the battlefield .
The prayer strategy is simple .
Join me in praying through these five strategic prayer points .
Then , share this with at least 10 friends who are prayerfully concerned about this nation and the integrity of our electoral system .
“ This is the confidence we have toward Him , that if we seek anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us.
” ( 1 John 5:4 ) Prayer Point One : Expose and hold accountable those who practice the seven things God hates and He says are detestable to Him .
According to Proverbs 6:16-17 , There are six things the LORD hates , seven that are detestable to Him : • Feet that are quick to rush into evil • A person who stirs up conflict in the community .
Heavenly Father , we humbly ask that in the battleground states of Pennsylvania , Michigan , Wisconsin , Georgia , North Carolina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every lying tongue and convict the hearts of those who devise wicked plans intended to invalidate and nullify the expressed will of the voters .
Stop those who would be quick to rush into evil .
Expose and silence every false witness who utters lies and operates in deceit .
Thwart the efforts of every person who attempts to stir conflict within their community .
Prayer Point Two : Expose all wickedness intended to steal , kill and destroy the electoral process in these battleground states .
Heavenly Father , we humbly ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Michigan , Wisconsin , Georgia , North Carolina , Arizona and Nevada , you reveal deep and hidden things .
You know what lies in darkness .
Light dwells with You .
( see Daniel 2:22 ) Please bring to light and expose every lie , deceit , deception , misrepresentation and illegal act intended to “ steal , kill and destroy ” the electoral process and the expressed will of the citizens and these states .
( see John 10:10 ) .
Prayer Point Three : Frustrate those who seek to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrity and authentic , accurate vote counts in these battleground states .
Heavenly Father , please , “ Frustrate the plotting of the shrewd so that their hands can not perform their enterprise or attain success.
” ( Job 5:12 ) May no weapon formed intended to steal , kill and destroy the authentic , accurate vote count and expressed will of the people in the battleground states of Pennsylvania , Michigan , Wisconsin , Georgia , North Carolina , Arizona , and Nevada “ be allowed to prosper.
” ( see Isaiah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frustrate and thwart the plans of those who attempt to sabotage the state ’ s election laws and subvert the expressed will of the people .
Heavenly Father , please “ Capture the wise by their own shrewdness and quickly thwart the advice of the cunning ” ( Job 5:13 ) whose intention is to sabotage and subvert state and federal election law and the expressed will of the people in the battleground states of Pennsylvania , Michigan , Wisconsin , Georgia , North Carolina , Arizona and Nevada .
“ Hold them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devices let them fall.
” ( Psalm 5:10 ) Prayer Point Five : Psalm 5 for protection and favor for President Trump .
Heavenly Father , please give ear to President Trump ’ s words , O LORD , consider President Trump ’ s groaning .
Heed the sound of his cry for help , His King and His God .
For to You does he pray .
In the morning O LORD , you will hear his voice ; in the morning he will order his prayer to you and eagerly watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who takes pleasure in wickedness ; no evil dwells with You .
The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes ; You hate all who do iniquity .
Destroy those who speak falsehood ; You abhor the man of bloodshed and deceit .
But as for President Trump , by Your abundant lovingkindness he will enter Your house .
At your holy temple he will bow in reverence for you .
Lord , please lead President Trump in Your righteousness because of his foes .
Make his way straight before him .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; their throat is an open grave ; they flatter with their tongue .
Hold them guilty , O God , by their own devices let them fall !
In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out for they are rebellious against You .
But let President Trump take refuge in You and be glad .
Let him ever sing for joy .
May you shelter him .
May he who loves Your name exult in You .
Bless President Trump , O LORD .
Surround him with favor as with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supernatural wisdom , strength and discernment to the President and his advisors regarding how to navigate the road ahead .
In the Mighty Name of Jesus We Pray , Amen .
Editor ’ s Note : This post was originally sent out as an email blast .
It has been lightly edited to stand as an article .

In the aftermath of the election, what is going on in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, and Nevada is nothing short of wicked.
Just last night, Arizona was moved from the “blue” column to the “white” toss-up column. Our prayers are availing much! It is now up to the Body of Christ to step up.
What if we mobilize a mighty intercessory prayer army to storm the gates of heaven on behalf of the voters of these states? If God has chosen to pronounce judgment on our nation and let it fall under the weight of its own wicked devices, then so be it. I can rest in Him knowing that I left it all on the battlefield.
A Simple Prayer Strategy
The prayer strategy is simple. Join me in praying through these five strategic prayer points. Then, share this with at least 10 friends who are prayerfully concerned about this nation and the integrity of our electoral system.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“This is the confidence we have toward Him, that if we seek anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:4)
Prayer Point One: Expose and hold accountable those who practice the seven things God hates and He says are detestable to Him.
According to Proverbs 6:16-17, There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
Haughty eyes A lying tongue Hands that shed innocent blood A heart that devises wicked plans Feet that are quick to rush into evil A false witness who pours out lies A person who stirs up conflict in the community.
Heavenly Father, we humbly ask that in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada — please silence every lying tongue and convict the hearts of those who devise wicked plans intended to invalidate and nullify the expressed will of the voters. Stop those who would be quick to rush into evil. Expose and silence every false witness who utters lies and operates in deceit. Thwart the efforts of every person who attempts to stir conflict within their community.
Prayer Point Two: Expose all wickedness intended to steal, kill and destroy the electoral process in these battleground states.
Heavenly Father, we humbly ask that in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada, you reveal deep and hidden things. You know what lies in darkness. Light dwells with You (see Daniel 2:22). Please bring to light and expose every lie, deceit, deception, misrepresentation and illegal act intended to “steal, kill and destroy” the electoral process and the expressed will of the citizens and these states (see John 10:10).
Prayer Point Three: Frustrate those who seek to steal, kill, and destroy electoral integrity and authentic, accurate vote counts in these battleground states.
Heavenly Father, please, “Frustrate the plotting of the shrewd so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise or attain success.” (Job 5:12) May no weapon formed intended to steal, kill and destroy the authentic, accurate vote count and expressed will of the people in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, and Nevada “be allowed to prosper” (see Isaiah 54:17).
Prayer Point Four: Frustrate and thwart the plans of those who attempt to sabotage the state’s election laws and subvert the expressed will of the people.
Heavenly Father, please “Capture the wise by their own shrewdness and quickly thwart the advice of the cunning” (Job 5:13) whose intention is to sabotage and subvert state and federal election law and the expressed will of the people in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada. “Hold them guilty O LORD, by their own devices let them fall.” (Psalm 5:10)
Prayer Point Five: Psalm 5 for protection and favor for President Trump.
Heavenly Father, please give ear to President Trump’s words, O LORD, consider President Trump’s groaning. Heed the sound of his cry for help, His King and His God. For to You does he pray. In the morning O LORD, you will hear his voice; in the morning he will order his prayer to you and eagerly watch.
For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil dwells with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. Destroy those who speak falsehood; You abhor the man of bloodshed and deceit. But as for President Trump, by Your abundant lovingkindness he will enter Your house. At your holy temple he will bow in reverence for you.
Lord, please lead President Trump in Your righteousness because of his foes. Make his way straight before him. There is nothing reliable in what they say; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue. Hold them guilty, O God, by their own devices let them fall! In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out for they are rebellious against You. But let President Trump take refuge in You and be glad. Let him ever sing for joy. May you shelter him. May he who loves Your name exult in You. Bless President Trump, O LORD. Surround him with favor as with a shield.
Heavenly Father, please give supernatural wisdom, strength and discernment to the President and his advisors regarding how to navigate the road ahead.
In the Mighty Name of Jesus We Pray,
Amen.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally sent out as an email blast. It has been lightly edited to stand as an article.


thestream--2020-11-06--Here’s How Americans Voted on Two Major Abortion Initiatives

Colorado and Louisiana both had abortion initiatives on the ballot Tuesday , and the election results could not have been more different .
Colorado Proposition 115 gave voters the option to “ ban late-term abortions ” in the state , while Louisiana Amendment 1 asked voters whether abortion should be considered a right within the state .
Coloradans voted against the abortion ban , while Louisiana voters voted in favor of the amendment stating that there is no right to abortion .
Over 62 % of those who voted on the Louisiana amendment voted “ yes , ” passing an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state of Louisiana does not protect abortion as a right and is not required to fund it .
Louisiana also has a trigger law automatically banning all abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned .
Americans United for Life President and CEO Catherine Glenn Foster told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the amendment makes Louisiana “ the most pro-life state in the union.
” “ Louisiana continues to stand out as a bastion of a bi-partisan , life-affirming political culture , ” she continued .
“ The Love Life Amendment was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislature with bipartisan majorities , endorsed by the recently re-elected Democratic governor , and approved by voters of all affiliation.
” Over 58 % of Colorado voters who voted on Proposition 115 rejected the measure , which would have banned abortions after 22 weeks , “ except when the abortion is immediately required to save the life of the pregnant woman or when her life is physically threatened , but not solely by psychological or emotional condition.
” Abortion advocates had raised $ 8.7 million in opposition to the measure , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-life groups pushing the 22-week-abortion ban had raised , according to the Colorado Sun .
Colorado does not have time limits on when women can obtain abortions , the publication noted , and since Colorado is one of only seven states in the U.S. with no time limits , women throughout the country travel to Colorado to obtain abortions .
Between 200 and 300 abortions were performed after 22-weeks of pregnancy in the state over the last couple years , the Colorado Sun reported .
The American Civil Liberties Union celebrated news that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a Tuesday tweet , “ VICTORY : Colorado voters just defeated Proposition 115 , rejecting the ballot measure that would ban abortion later in pregnancy .
Safe , compassionate abortion access for all is here to stay in Colorado.
” Foster told the DCNF that “ unborn children can feel pain at 20 weeks gestation.
” “ The people of Colorado had the opportunity to vote for Proposition 115 , a measure that would have acknowledged the scientific reality of fetal pain and prohibited abortion after the time that we know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ We are disappointed that the voters of Colorado rejected this measure , and we will continue to fight for the rights of all Americans in Colorado and across the nation.
” 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 .

Colorado and Louisiana both had abortion initiatives on the ballot Tuesday, and the election results could not have been more different.
Colorado Proposition 115 gave voters the option to “ban late-term abortions” in the state, while Louisiana Amendment 1 asked voters whether abortion should be considered a right within the state.
Coloradans voted against the abortion ban, while Louisiana voters voted in favor of the amendment stating that there is no right to abortion.
Over 62% of those who voted on the Louisiana amendment voted “yes,” passing an amendment that adds language stating that it the state of Louisiana does not protect abortion as a right and is not required to fund it. Louisiana also has a trigger law automatically banning all abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
BREAKING: @AP reports that Louisiana has passed Amendment 1, which establishes there is no constitutional right to an abortion. pic.twitter.com/JRaECGhLhe — Catherine Hadro (@CatSzeltner) November 4, 2020
Americans United for Life President and CEO Catherine Glenn Foster told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the amendment makes Louisiana “the most pro-life state in the union.”
“Louisiana continues to stand out as a bastion of a bi-partisan, life-affirming political culture,” she continued. “The Love Life Amendment was passed in both houses of the state legislature with bipartisan majorities, endorsed by the recently re-elected Democratic governor, and approved by voters of all affiliation.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Over 58% of Colorado voters who voted on Proposition 115 rejected the measure, which would have banned abortions after 22 weeks, “except when the abortion is immediately required to save the life of the pregnant woman or when her life is physically threatened, but not solely by psychological or emotional condition.”
Abortion advocates had raised $8.7 million in opposition to the measure, which is about 14 times as much as the pro-life groups pushing the 22-week-abortion ban had raised, according to the Colorado Sun.
Abortion advocates have spent nearly $9million to block #Proposition115, a Colorado ballot measure to ban abortions on viable babies. Grassroot pro-lifers are giving a voice to the voiceless by encouraging Coloradans to #voteprolife this November.https://t.co/vpwEfMogPQ — March for Life (@March_for_Life) November 1, 2020
Colorado does not have time limits on when women can obtain abortions, the publication noted, and since Colorado is one of only seven states in the U.S. with no time limits, women throughout the country travel to Colorado to obtain abortions. Between 200 and 300 abortions were performed after 22-weeks of pregnancy in the state over the last couple years, the Colorado Sun reported.
HISTORIC: Coloradans have voted #NoOn115 to defeat the dangerous and deceptive ban on abortion later in pregnancy. The people of Colorado have spoken — abortion bans don’t belong in our state. This is a victory for pregnant people, families, and doctors. pic.twitter.com/yJRpbIcV3P — Abortion Access For All – No On 115 (@access4allco) November 4, 2020
The American Civil Liberties Union celebrated news that the measure would not pass, saying in a Tuesday tweet, “VICTORY: Colorado voters just defeated Proposition 115, rejecting the ballot measure that would ban abortion later in pregnancy. Safe, compassionate abortion access for all is here to stay in Colorado.”
Foster told the DCNF that “unborn children can feel pain at 20 weeks gestation.”
“The people of Colorado had the opportunity to vote for Proposition 115, a measure that would have acknowledged the scientific reality of fetal pain and prohibited abortion after the time that we know that the child can feel pain,” she said. “We are disappointed that the voters of Colorado rejected this measure, and we will continue to fight for the rights of all Americans in Colorado and across the nation.”
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--2020-11-06--Is Voter Fraud Afoot? A Look at 7 Claims

As might be expected during the undecided presidential contest between Donald Trump and Joe Biden , pundits and typical voters alike are voicing more concerns about voter fraud and unfair election practices .
Already numerous internet rumors have been proven wrong or lack evidence .
That doesn ’ t mean every assertion will prove to be without merit , however .
Conversely , some legitimate questions about ballot counting have enough evidence behind them to support litigation .
That doesn ’ t mean such questions won ’ t ultimately have satisfactory answers .
Here ’ s a sampling — based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven claims in the postelection chaos .
One popular claim circulating on social media and at least one viral email goes like this : “ Wisconsin magically now has more votes than registered voters.
” That essentially is a “ fake ” claim , said J. Christian Adams , president of the conservative-leaning election integrity watchdog group Public Interest Legal Foundation .
“ Wisconsin has same-day voter registration , so you are obviously always going to have more voters than registered voters , ” Adams told The Daily Signal .
Adams noted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 20 emails calling for investigations into bogus rumors floating on the internet .
FactCheck.org determined that the number of registered voters as of Nov. 1 actually exceeded the actual voters Nov. 3 by 388,000 .
An example of a legitimate problem is in Maricopa County , Arizona , Adams said , where 11 voters are suing the county for not “ curing ” their vote , meaning not providing a new ballot when a ballot is somehow spoiled .
The lead client in the case , Laurie Aguilera , represented by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking a court to vindicate her voting rights .
Aguilera is joined by 10 unnamed plaintiffs , dubbed “ Does I-X.
” The lawsuit asks the court to order that election officials identify and correct all ballots that were denied because poll workers had required voters to use Sharpie markers in filling out ballots .
Aguilera was issued a Sharpie to mark up her ballot on Election Day , according to the lawsuit .
That ’ s despite established state guidance that felt-tip writing utensils not be used .
Aguilera said she became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other side of her ballot , according to the lawsuit .
Election officials instructed her to feed her ballot through the counting machine .
When the machine failed to accept her ballot , the attending poll worker cancelled the ballot and Aguilera ’ s request for a replacement ballot was denied , according to the lawsuit .
“ These voters were denied the right to vote .
Arizona election officials allegedly were part of the problem , and denial of the right to vote should not occur because of failures in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adams said in a public statement .
The suit asks that ballots denied because of the supplied Sharpies be identified and allowed to be cured ; that voters who were given felt-tip markers be given the chance to be present to observe the handling and adjudication of their ballots ; and that the court order their votes to be tabulated .
Maricopa County officials pushed back , saying that Sharpies in fact may be used , referring to an Election Day video that said ink could not bleed through ballots .
Another claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 112,000 ballots marked for Biden between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. Wednesday morning .
The left-leaning PolitiFact identified a Facebook post as being the source of this rumor , which the social media site flagged .
PolitiFact called this claim “ false , ” quoting Reid Magney , a spokesman for the Wisconsin Elections Commission , as stating , “ Absolutely no ballots were ‘ found.
’ ” Magney added : “ All of the election results that were reported in the early morning hours of Wednesday were valid ballots that were received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the law.
” Aside from social media and a blog post , no major Republican or conservative figures have made a case for this claim .
A lawsuit filed Wednesday in Detroit asserts that Democratic observers are reviewing thousands of spoiled ballots without a Republican observer present , as required by law .
About 100 counting groups operating in Wayne County determined that ballots rejected by voting machines had to be reviewed .
State law allows a Democrat and Republican election observer to review each ineligible ballot and make a mutual determination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , several witnesses allege that only Democratic observers were correcting such ballots in violation of state law , the lawsuit says .
“ The law in Michigan requires Republican and Democrat observers , ” Phill Kline , a former Kansas attorney general who now directs the Amistad Project and represents the plaintiffs in the case , told The Daily Signal .
Kline said every ballot could be perfectly legitimate , but the public needs to have confidence in the process and so far , Wayne County has not been transparent .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the record to the public .
We need to know how the votes are being counted , ” Kline said .
“ We know they are violating state law .
That makes fraud easier.
” The suit calls for officials to quarantine the ballots until representatives of both parties have evaluated them .
Biden supporters assert that the charge of no Republican observers is “ unfounded.
” Another claim stated that Michigan at one point gained 138,339 ballots , all marked for Biden and none for Trump .
This didn ’ t require @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the assertion admits it is false .
The Detroit Free Press reported that this rumor began when Matt Mackowiak , chairman of Texas ’ Travis County Republican Party , first tweeted that Biden received 100 % of newly counted votes .
An attachment showed two election maps .
But Mackowiak deleted the tweet and posted another tweet saying : “ I have now learned the MI update referenced was a typo in one county.
” It ’ s nearly impossible for such a thing to happen anywhere , said Hans von Spakovsky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Initiative at The Heritage Foundation .
“ There are a lot of stories and rumors that turn out not to be true , ” von Spakovsky told The Daily Signal .
“ If it was true that tens of thousands of votes appeared and every single one was for one candidate , that would of course raise grave suspicions , particularly this year when even black and Hispanic voters supported Trump in surprisingly high numbers .
In 2016 , Trump won 62 % of the vote in Antrim County , Michigan , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yet , when the county tabulated votes this week , Biden reportedly beat Trump by 3,000 votes .
Republicans at the local and national level , including American Conservative Union President Matt Schlapp , flagged this development as unusual .
The questions got results when the Antrim County Clerk ’ s Office announced it would count the ballots manually .
The county has about 24,000 residents .
“ There is no way that we flipped from 62 % Trump in 2016 to upside-down this time around , ” said state Rep. Triston Cole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Radio .
The Public Interest Legal Foundation also filed a lawsuit against the state of Pennsylvania for failing to maintain and update voter rolls after finding 21,000 apparently deceased voters still on the rolls .
That does not mean anyone was falsely voting under the names .
However , critics have said unclean voter rolls present the opportunity for fraud .
Fred Lucas is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “ The Right Side of History ” podcast .
Lucas is also the author of Tainted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections .
Send an email to Fred .

As might be expected during the undecided presidential contest between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, pundits and typical voters alike are voicing more concerns about voter fraud and unfair election practices.
Already numerous internet rumors have been proven wrong or lack evidence. That doesn’t mean every assertion will prove to be without merit, however.
Conversely, some legitimate questions about ballot counting have enough evidence behind them to support litigation. That doesn’t mean such questions won’t ultimately have satisfactory answers.
Here’s a sampling — based on what currently is known — of seven claims in the postelection chaos.
1. Wisconsin Votes vs. Registered Voters?
One popular claim circulating on social media and at least one viral email goes like this: “Wisconsin magically now has more votes than registered voters.”
That essentially is a “fake” claim, said J. Christian Adams, president of the conservative-leaning election integrity watchdog group Public Interest Legal Foundation.
“Wisconsin has same-day voter registration, so you are obviously always going to have more voters than registered voters,” Adams told The Daily Signal.
Adams noted that by Thursday afternoon, he had gotten at least 20 emails calling for investigations into bogus rumors floating on the internet.
FactCheck.org determined that the number of registered voters as of Nov. 1 actually exceeded the actual voters Nov. 3 by 388,000.
2. No Sharpies in Arizona?
An example of a legitimate problem is in Maricopa County, Arizona, Adams said, where 11 voters are suing the county for not “curing” their vote, meaning not providing a new ballot when a ballot is somehow spoiled.
The lead client in the case, Laurie Aguilera, represented by the Public Interest Legal Foundation, is asking a court to vindicate her voting rights. Aguilera is joined by 10 unnamed plaintiffs, dubbed “Does I-X.”
The lawsuit asks the court to order that election officials identify and correct all ballots that were denied because poll workers had required voters to use Sharpie markers in filling out ballots.
Aguilera was issued a Sharpie to mark up her ballot on Election Day, according to the lawsuit. That’s despite established state guidance that felt-tip writing utensils not be used.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Aguilera said she became alarmed when she noticed ink bleeding to the other side of her ballot, according to the lawsuit. Election officials instructed her to feed her ballot through the counting machine.
When the machine failed to accept her ballot, the attending poll worker cancelled the ballot and Aguilera’s request for a replacement ballot was denied, according to the lawsuit.
“These voters were denied the right to vote. Arizona election officials allegedly were part of the problem, and denial of the right to vote should not occur because of failures in the process of casting a ballot,” Adams said in a public statement.
The suit asks that ballots denied because of the supplied Sharpies be identified and allowed to be cured; that voters who were given felt-tip markers be given the chance to be present to observe the handling and adjudication of their ballots; and that the court order their votes to be tabulated.
Maricopa County officials pushed back, saying that Sharpies in fact may be used, referring to an Election Day video that said ink could not bleed through ballots.
Did you know we use Sharpies in the Vote Centers so the ink doesn’t smudge as ballots are counted onsite? New offset columns on the ballots means bleed through won’t impact your vote! Find a location before the polls close at 7 p.m. today at https://t.co/8YEmXbWyRL. pic.twitter.com/KKG2O8rQhf — Maricopa County Elections Department (@MaricopaVote) November 3, 2020
3. Wisconsin Ballot Dump?
Another claim about Wisconsin is that someone discovered more than 112,000 ballots marked for Biden between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.
The left-leaning PolitiFact identified a Facebook post as being the source of this rumor, which the social media site flagged.
PolitiFact called this claim “false,” quoting Reid Magney, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Elections Commission, as stating, “Absolutely no ballots were ‘found.’”
Magney added: “All of the election results that were reported in the early morning hours of Wednesday were valid ballots that were received by 8 p.m. on Election Day according to the law.”
Aside from social media and a blog post, no major Republican or conservative figures have made a case for this claim.
4. Who’s Counting in Michigan?
A lawsuit filed Wednesday in Detroit asserts that Democratic observers are reviewing thousands of spoiled ballots without a Republican observer present, as required by law.
About 100 counting groups operating in Wayne County determined that ballots rejected by voting machines had to be reviewed.
State law allows a Democrat and Republican election observer to review each ineligible ballot and make a mutual determination of the voter’s intent. However, several witnesses allege that only Democratic observers were correcting such ballots in violation of state law, the lawsuit says.
“The law in Michigan requires Republican and Democrat observers,” Phill Kline, a former Kansas attorney general who now directs the Amistad Project and represents the plaintiffs in the case, told The Daily Signal.
Kline said every ballot could be perfectly legitimate, but the public needs to have confidence in the process and so far, Wayne County has not been transparent.
“The lawsuit is only asking to open the record to the public. We need to know how the votes are being counted,” Kline said. “We know they are violating state law. That makes fraud easier.”
The suit calls for officials to quarantine the ballots until representatives of both parties have evaluated them.
Biden supporters assert that the charge of no Republican observers is “unfounded.”
5. 138,000 for Biden, 0 for Trump?
Another claim stated that Michigan at one point gained 138,339 ballots, all marked for Biden and none for Trump.
This didn’t require hostile fact-checking. The person who first made the assertion admits it is false.
The Detroit Free Press reported that this rumor began when Matt Mackowiak, chairman of Texas’ Travis County Republican Party, first tweeted that Biden received 100% of newly counted votes. An attachment showed two election maps.
But Mackowiak deleted the tweet and posted another tweet saying: “I have now learned the MI update referenced was a typo in one county.”
This tweet was taken and share honestly. I have now learned the MI update referenced was a typo in one county. I have deleted the original tweet. pic.twitter.com/NXQINWDbEH — Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) November 4, 2020
It’s nearly impossible for such a thing to happen anywhere, said Hans von Spakovsky, manager of the Election Law Reform Initiative at The Heritage Foundation.
“There are a lot of stories and rumors that turn out not to be true,” von Spakovsky told The Daily Signal. “If it was true that tens of thousands of votes appeared and every single one was for one candidate, that would of course raise grave suspicions, particularly this year when even black and Hispanic voters supported Trump in surprisingly high numbers.
6. Huge Biden Flip of Trump County?
In 2016, Trump won 62% of the vote in Antrim County, Michigan, in his race against Democrat Hillary Clinton. Yet, when the county tabulated votes this week, Biden reportedly beat Trump by 3,000 votes.
Republicans at the local and national level, including American Conservative Union President Matt Schlapp, flagged this development as unusual.
Have Republican votes mysteriously disappeared in Antrim County Michigan and it has become a strong Biden territory? Odd that @GovWhitmer owns property in the county – coincidence? #StopTheSteal https://t.co/etfrhdyLRW — Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) November 4, 2020
The questions got results when the Antrim County Clerk’s Office announced it would count the ballots manually. The county has about 24,000 residents.
“There is no way that we flipped from 62% Trump in 2016 to upside-down this time around,” said state Rep. Triston Cole, a Republican, according to Interlochen Public Radio.
7. Dead Voters?
The Public Interest Legal Foundation also filed a lawsuit against the state of Pennsylvania for failing to maintain and update voter rolls after finding 21,000 apparently deceased voters still on the rolls.
That does not mean anyone was falsely voting under the names. However, critics have said unclean voter rolls present the opportunity for fraud.
The lawsuit in Pennsylvania states:
As of October 7, 2020, at least 9,212 registrants have been dead for at least five years, at least 1,990 registrants have been dead for at least ten years, and at least 197 registrants have been dead for at least twenty years. … Pennsylvania still left the names of more than 21,000 dead individuals on the voter rolls less than a month before one of the most consequential general elections for federal officeholders in many years.
Fred Lucas is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “The Right Side of History” podcast. Lucas is also the author of Tainted by Suspicion: The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections. Send an email to Fred.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-11-06--Will Tyranny Prevail by Fraud in America?

The former Vatican ambassador to the U.S. , a whistleblower on cover-ups of sex abuse , Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano has played a prophetic role in the past few years .
In our centralized Church , any bishop who opposes Pope Francis ’ new doctrines and new gospel can be instantly removed .
It takes the retired Vigano to speak for millions of outraged , betrayed faithful Catholics .
Vigano demanded that the Vatican reveal what Pope Francis knew and when he knew it about then Cardinal Theodore McCarrick .
He is the now-defrocked pedophile who molested a boy he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pope Francis knew all this , but plucked McCarrick from disgrace , and sent him to negotiate the Vatican ’ s alliance with Communist China .
Vigano warned us about Pope Francis ’ overt efforts to help the pro-abortion Joe Biden win this election , and the role that election plays in the “ Great Reset.
” That ’ s an open globalist conspiracy to strip us of private property rights , national sovereignty , and other basic human rights .
Vigano warned us that he believes President Trump plays a providential role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With Trump in the White House , the U.S. can play the role of a restraining force against the manifestly antichristian initiatives to liquidate religious freedom , democratic governance , and individual rights .
With Biden in office , the U.S. would throw its weight fully behind such efforts .
There would be no major power on the side of religious freedom , and nations like Poland , Hungary , and others that seek to protect innocent life and the family might quickly be crushed .
The persecuted in China would see the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Chinese Communist bribery and blackmail .
Sex traffickers in Mexico would see the end of efforts to stop their trade in vulnerable immigrants .
The terror masters in Iran would see a friend in Biden , who backed the Obama administration ’ s craven cave-in and payoff scheme .
Now Archbishop Vigano calls on us to resist and expose the massive vote fraud the Democratic party is attempting against President Trump .
Read his appeal to prayer in full at Lifesitenews .
To answer it , I just joined a Zoom call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to ask God for protection over our country .
Make no mistake : Only God ’ s direct , almost miraculous help can avail us now .
One by one , the opportunists who saw fit to throw in with President Trump have begun to abandon him .
The Murdoch family has apparently thrown Trump under the bus .
Overnight , its New York Post went from reporting on Hunter Biden ’ s ties to China , to denouncing Trump for questioning obvious cases of election fraud .
Fox News on television @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than even CNN .
Senator Rick Santorum , who once endorsed candidate Trump , is now joining Bernie Sanders and Ilhan Omar in denouncing him for resisting this squalid coup .
We read reports that Senate Republicans are already negotiating with Biden , as if he ’ d won legitimately .
The GOP establishment may be breathing a sigh of relief .
It thinks it has coughed out of its throat the bone of populism and nationalism .
Now it can go back to pushing for low taxes , cheap labor , open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After all , it still has the Senate .
Trump even helped it gain a few seats in the House .
Now that grubby , vulgar man from Queens can get tossed over the side , and they can work with “ Good Ol ’ Joe ” Biden , who once worked closely with open segregationists .
Joe will keep the extremists who have taken over his party under control , won ’ t he ?
Oh yeah , just the way the not-nearly-so-senile President von Hindenburg kept the Nazis from going too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do Nothing to Restrain the Rioters Party In fact , Joe Biden did nothing to call off the coordinated riots the Democratic party supported , which Democrat governors and mayors refused to use the police to control .
Biden has caved on every rational position he ever had .
Even during the heat of a presidential election , he wouldn ’ t renounce the Green New Deal , or abortion up through birth , or massive gun confiscation .
Why should he ?
Biden knew ( and even once said , in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t need the voters to get him elected .
What he needed were the zealous , fervent left-wing activists who ’ d collect the votes , and count the votes , and where need be manufacture the votes .
On top of that , he needed a lockstep media that wouldn ’ t report on his fraud .
And now with Fox switching sides and social media silencing more of his critics — Steve Bannon ’ s YouTube show got cut off midstream , a few hours ago — Biden has all he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to pull off this blatant , banana-republic coup .
I remember watching in horror as the Polish Communist government wielded its monopoly of violence and media to crush Solidarity in 1981 .
I never dreamed I ’ d experience something like that in my own country .
But I think I ’ m seeing it right here , right now .
And all the “ respectable ” people , even in our own party , are unwilling to risk a thing to try to stop it .
How many Republican lawmakers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The President ’ s son Tweeted about this : Let ’ s remember which Republicans rolled over and collaborated with this fascist takeover by Big Tech , Big Media , and the bottomlessly corrupt Democratic political machine .
Then punish them at their next elections with primary challengers and even third party candidates .
No it is not better to have treacherous , back-stabbing fake friends in office for 30 or 40 years , than to take a single loss in a general election , and come back stronger next time .
Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even have meaningful elections again after this one .
If the Democrats can install a doddering , senile nonentity with proven financial ties to Communist China — which sent us the COVID virus , intentionally — why would they ever stop ?
Reward such behavior with the massive prize of the presidency , and it only gets worse from here .
We should do all we can to support the president in his efforts to fight this last , most sickening Deep State coup .
We must rely on the power of prayer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by any means necessary attacks on our basic rights , especially our religious rights and gun rights — which history shows us are inextricably linked .
In the 20th century , secular governments murdered some 170 million civilians , not including war casualties .
The one thing they had in common ?
They ’ d all been stripped of their guns .
So the time to fight is when you still have your guns , and anyone tries to take them .
In the words of the old song , “ Praise the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .
He is co-author with Jason Jones of “ God , Guns , & the Government .
”

The former Vatican ambassador to the U.S., a whistleblower on cover-ups of sex abuse, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano has played a prophetic role in the past few years. In our centralized Church, any bishop who opposes Pope Francis’ new doctrines and new gospel can be instantly removed. It takes the retired Vigano to speak for millions of outraged, betrayed faithful Catholics.
Vigano demanded that the Vatican reveal what Pope Francis knew and when he knew it about then Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. He is the now-defrocked pedophile who molested a boy he’d baptized as a baby. Pope Francis knew all this, but plucked McCarrick from disgrace, and sent him to negotiate the Vatican’s alliance with Communist China.
The Vatican-Biden Axis of Evil
Vigano warned us about Pope Francis’ overt efforts to help the pro-abortion Joe Biden win this election, and the role that election plays in the “Great Reset.” That’s an open globalist conspiracy to strip us of private property rights, national sovereignty, and other basic human rights.
Vigano warned us that he believes President Trump plays a providential role in today’s global events. With Trump in the White House, the U.S. can play the role of a restraining force against the manifestly antichristian initiatives to liquidate religious freedom, democratic governance, and individual rights. With Biden in office, the U.S. would throw its weight fully behind such efforts.
The GOP establishment may be breathing a sigh of relief. It thinks it has coughed out of its throat the bone of populism and nationalism.
There would be no major power on the side of religious freedom, and nations like Poland, Hungary, and others that seek to protect innocent life and the family might quickly be crushed. The persecuted in China would see the U.S. taken over by a man subject to Chinese Communist bribery and blackmail. Sex traffickers in Mexico would see the end of efforts to stop their trade in vulnerable immigrants. The terror masters in Iran would see a friend in Biden, who backed the Obama administration’s craven cave-in and payoff scheme.
A Time to Pray
Now Archbishop Vigano calls on us to resist and expose the massive vote fraud the Democratic party is attempting against President Trump. Read his appeal to prayer in full at Lifesitenews. To answer it, I just joined a Zoom call with Catholic friends from New York City, to ask God for protection over our country.
Make no mistake: Only God’s direct, almost miraculous help can avail us now. One by one, the opportunists who saw fit to throw in with President Trump have begun to abandon him. The Murdoch family has apparently thrown Trump under the bus. Overnight, its New York Post went from reporting on Hunter Biden’s ties to China, to denouncing Trump for questioning obvious cases of election fraud. Fox News on television called states for Joe Biden more aggressively than even CNN.
Opportunists Switching Sides
Senator Rick Santorum, who once endorsed candidate Trump, is now joining Bernie Sanders and Ilhan Omar in denouncing him for resisting this squalid coup. We read reports that Senate Republicans are already negotiating with Biden, as if he’d won legitimately.
The GOP establishment may be breathing a sigh of relief. It thinks it has coughed out of its throat the bone of populism and nationalism. Now it can go back to pushing for low taxes, cheap labor, open borders, and reckless foreign wars. After all, it still has the Senate. Trump even helped it gain a few seats in the House.
Now that grubby, vulgar man from Queens can get tossed over the side, and they can work with “Good Ol’ Joe” Biden, who once worked closely with open segregationists. Joe will keep the extremists who have taken over his party under control, won’t he?
Oh yeah, just the way the not-nearly-so-senile President von Hindenburg kept the Nazis from going too far. Remember that?
Biden Will Do Nothing to Restrain the Rioters Party
In fact, Joe Biden did nothing to call off the coordinated riots the Democratic party supported, which Democrat governors and mayors refused to use the police to control. Biden has caved on every rational position he ever had. Even during the heat of a presidential election, he wouldn’t renounce the Green New Deal, or abortion up through birth, or massive gun confiscation.
Why should he? Biden knew (and even once said, in an apparent blooper) that he didn’t need the voters to get him elected. What he needed were the zealous, fervent left-wing activists who’d collect the votes, and count the votes, and where need be manufacture the votes.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
On top of that, he needed a lockstep media that wouldn’t report on his fraud. And now with Fox switching sides and social media silencing more of his critics — Steve Bannon’s YouTube show got cut off midstream, a few hours ago — Biden has all he needs, on a purely human level, to pull off this blatant, banana-republic coup.
A Deep State Coup, Like Poland’s in 1981
I remember watching in horror as the Polish Communist government wielded its monopoly of violence and media to crush Solidarity in 1981. I never dreamed I’d experience something like that in my own country. But I think I’m seeing it right here, right now. And all the “respectable” people, even in our own party, are unwilling to risk a thing to try to stop it.
How many Republican lawmakers are even speaking out about this outrage? The President’s son Tweeted about this:
The total lack of action from virtually all of the “2024 GOP hopefuls” is pretty amazing. They have a perfect platform to show that they’re willing & able to fight but they will cower to the media mob instead. Don’t worry @realDonaldTrump will fight & they can watch as usual! — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 5, 2020
Our Last Free Election?
Let’s remember which Republicans rolled over and collaborated with this fascist takeover by Big Tech, Big Media, and the bottomlessly corrupt Democratic political machine. Then punish them at their next elections with primary challengers and even third party candidates. No it is not better to have treacherous, back-stabbing fake friends in office for 30 or 40 years, than to take a single loss in a general election, and come back stronger next time.
Of course, I’m assuming we even have meaningful elections again after this one. If the Democrats can install a doddering, senile nonentity with proven financial ties to Communist China — which sent us the COVID virus, intentionally — why would they ever stop? Reward such behavior with the massive prize of the presidency, and it only gets worse from here.
Samson in the Temple
We should do all we can to support the president in his efforts to fight this last, most sickening Deep State coup. We must rely on the power of prayer, but also prepare ourselves to resist by any means necessary attacks on our basic rights, especially our religious rights and gun rights — which history shows us are inextricably linked.
In the 20th century, secular governments murdered some 170 million civilians, not including war casualties. The one thing they had in common? They’d all been stripped of their guns. So the time to fight is when you still have your guns, and anyone tries to take them.
In the words of the old song, “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.”
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He is co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”


Coffee Cup Christianity

This might sound a little creepy : I know how you read your email .
I promise I ’ m not stalking you , but I know there ’ s something you never do when you get a message from a friend .
You never open the email , skip the first three pages , and read just one line on the fourth page .
No one , in fact , takes that approach with their mail .
By skipping the context of the email and ignoring the flow of thought , you wouldn ’ t know what that line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s wrong to read your friend ’ s mail that way , then why do we read God ’ s mail that way ?
We open the letter to the Philippians , skip the first three chapters , and read verse 14 : “ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
” Message received .
Close the letter .
We ’ re done here !
We even plaster that verse on a mug , publicizing our mistake .
I call this “ Coffee Cup Christianity , ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We ’ ve become accustomed to seeing isolated Bible verses and presuming we know their meaning .
Too often , however , we merely insert our own meaning into a Bible verse , thereby overwriting what God was trying to tell us .
It ’ s not just on coffee cups .
We see isolated verses on calendars , walls , phone cases and just about anywhere you can post text .
Sadly , Coffee Cup Christianity violates one of the most basic and well-known principles of interpretation : context .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among Bible readers .
Many people in our culture understand it .
Tragically , we apply it when reading man ’ s word but neglect it when reading God ’ s word .
Coffee Cup Christianity leads to three dangerous problems .
First , Coffee Cup Christianity Overwrites God ’ s Intended Meaning With Your Own The verses before and after a Bible verse are its context .
They clarify what the author is talking about .
The word “ buck , ” for example , means dollar if the context is about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is about hunting .
Notice that changing the context changes the meaning of the smaller unit of text .
The same is true with Scripture .
That ’ s why you want to first read the context of any verse before trying to understand what it means .
In the Bible ’ s case , it ’ s the Holy Spirit who inspired not only the verse you ’ re trying to understand , but also the context to help you understand it .
Coffee Cup Christianity often ignores the Spirit ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which we quickly fill with our own context from our own life situation .
Since context drives the meaning of a verse , your own life context may be changing the true meaning of the words of Scripture , overwriting what God intended to tell you .
In effect , we ’ re infusing our meaning into Scripture and granting it divine authority .
Second , Coffee Cup Christianity Leads to Missing Important Lessons From God My daughter was taught a Sunday school lesson on Jesus ’ parable about the “ night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story is about a man who is woken at midnight and resists giving his neighbor some bread but eventually shares it .
If you read the parable in isolation from its context , the lesson seems obvious : sharing is a virtue .
But when you read the context ( Luke 11:1–4 and 9–13 ) , which is about Jesus ’ teaching on prayer , a different lesson emerges : the importance of the persistence of prayer .
Coffee Cup Christianity makes you miss important lessons the Holy Spirit intends to teach .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bible , people assure me that we can still glean valuable lessons even if we miss the point of the passage .
They tell me , It ’ s no big deal .
Even if Jesus wasn ’ t teaching about sharing , it ’ s still an important lesson to follow .
I vigorously disagree .
I do agree sharing is an important virtue .
If you want to make that point , though , use a passage that specifically implores us to share ( e.g .
2 Cor .
9:7 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a text that teaches one lesson and force it to teach a different one .
That twists God ’ s Word and models a dangerous interpretive method for others .
If we handle God ’ s Word in this manner , we hand young believers faulty tools , rendering them incapable of accurately handling the word of truth ( 2 Tim .
2:15 ) .
They ’ re the most important generation because they ’ re the next generation .
We ’ re short-circuiting the health of tomorrow ’ s church if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s words with their own meanings .
Coffee Cup Christianity needs to end .
It ’ s lazy , unethical and dangerous .
It elevates our own meaning above God ’ s and passes it off as divine writ .
We don ’ t read what our friends have written with such carelessness .
Let ’ s no longer do it with what God has written .
Alan Shlemon is an author and speaker for Stand to Reason .
He trains Christians to share their convictions in a persuasive , yet gracious manner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both radio and television , and has spoken to thousands of adults and students across the country at churches , conferences , and college campuses .

This might sound a little creepy: I know how you read your email. I promise I’m not stalking you, but I know there’s something you never do when you get a message from a friend.
You never open the email, skip the first three pages, and read just one line on the fourth page. No one, in fact, takes that approach with their mail. By skipping the context of the email and ignoring the flow of thought, you wouldn’t know what that line meant on the fourth page. If it’s wrong to read your friend’s mail that way, then why do we read God’s mail that way?
We open the letter to the Philippians, skip the first three chapters, and read verse 14: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Message received. Close the letter. We’re done here!
We even plaster that verse on a mug, publicizing our mistake. I call this “Coffee Cup Christianity,” and it’s killing our biblical literacy. We’ve become accustomed to seeing isolated Bible verses and presuming we know their meaning. Too often, however, we merely insert our own meaning into a Bible verse, thereby overwriting what God was trying to tell us.
Sadly, Coffee Cup Christianity violates one of the most basic and well-known principles of interpretation: context.
It’s not just on coffee cups. We see isolated verses on calendars, walls, phone cases and just about anywhere you can post text.
Sadly, Coffee Cup Christianity violates one of the most basic and well-known principles of interpretation: context. It’s a principle known not only among Bible readers. Many people in our culture understand it. Tragically, we apply it when reading man’s word but neglect it when reading God’s word. Coffee Cup Christianity leads to three dangerous problems.
First, Coffee Cup Christianity Overwrites God’s Intended Meaning With Your Own
The verses before and after a Bible verse are its context. They clarify what the author is talking about. The word “buck,” for example, means dollar if the context is about money but means deer if the context is about hunting. Notice that changing the context changes the meaning of the smaller unit of text.
The same is true with Scripture. That’s why you want to first read the context of any verse before trying to understand what it means. In the Bible’s case, it’s the Holy Spirit who inspired not only the verse you’re trying to understand, but also the context to help you understand it. Coffee Cup Christianity often ignores the Spirit’s inspired words, leaving a context vacuum, which we quickly fill with our own context from our own life situation.
Since context drives the meaning of a verse, your own life context may be changing the true meaning of the words of Scripture, overwriting what God intended to tell you. In effect, we’re infusing our meaning into Scripture and granting it divine authority.
Second, Coffee Cup Christianity Leads to Missing Important Lessons From God
My daughter was taught a Sunday school lesson on Jesus’ parable about the “night neighbor” in Luke 11:5–8. The story is about a man who is woken at midnight and resists giving his neighbor some bread but eventually shares it. If you read the parable in isolation from its context, the lesson seems obvious: sharing is a virtue. But when you read the context (Luke 11:1–4 and 9–13), which is about Jesus’ teaching on prayer, a different lesson emerges: the importance of the persistence of prayer. Coffee Cup Christianity makes you miss important lessons the Holy Spirit intends to teach.
Third, Coffee Cup Christianity Models Bad Interpretive Methods
Despite this faulty approach to understanding the Bible, people assure me that we can still glean valuable lessons even if we miss the point of the passage. They tell me, It’s no big deal. Even if Jesus wasn’t teaching about sharing, it’s still an important lesson to follow. I vigorously disagree. I do agree sharing is an important virtue. If you want to make that point, though, use a passage that specifically implores us to share (e.g. 2 Cor. 9:7). It’s unethical to take a text that teaches one lesson and force it to teach a different one. That twists God’s Word and models a dangerous interpretive method for others.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
If we handle God’s Word in this manner, we hand young believers faulty tools, rendering them incapable of accurately handling the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). They’re the most important generation because they’re the next generation. We’re short-circuiting the health of tomorrow’s church if we give them license to replace God’s words with their own meanings.
Coffee Cup Christianity needs to end. It’s lazy, unethical and dangerous. It elevates our own meaning above God’s and passes it off as divine writ. We don’t read what our friends have written with such carelessness. Let’s no longer do it with what God has written.
Alan Shlemon is an author and speaker for Stand to Reason. He trains Christians to share their convictions in a persuasive, yet gracious manner. He has been a guest on both radio and television, and has spoken to thousands of adults and students across the country at churches, conferences, and college campuses.
Originally published at STR.org. Reprinted with permission.


thestream--2020-11-07--#50 Questions, Final Answer: Christianity Meets the Test; How Many Christians Do?

Last in an extended series of answers to Guy P. Harrison ’ s book 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian .
Read the series intro here .
This is answer number 31 to Guy P. Harrison ’ s 50 , but it ’ s enough now .
I ’ m closing this series today with a question Guy P. Harrison should have asked , but didn ’ t : How did such a self-identified student of religion come up with such a shallow , surface , grade-school understanding of Christianity ?
Don ’ t jump to blaming him alone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and learn from it , too .
His shallow view shows up all over his first chapter , “ Does Christianity Make Sense ?
” which I skipped over at first .
He can ’ t figure out how God could send God to earth and die as a sacrifice to God .
We have an answer for that .
It ’ s basic teaching — not the kind of teaching you ’ d introduce to little children , but any eighth or ninth grader should be able to handle it .
Harrison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it before .
The same goes for his questions on why Jesus had to die for our sins , why God had to save us “ from Himself , ” and why it ’ s enough to embrace Jesus as our Lord and Savior .
Harrison also says there ’ s not enough evidence .
Part of his problem is that he ’ s looking for supernatural claims to be “ validated by the scientific process.
” Science is the study of nature , so I can ’ t understand why he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to look for proof of the supernatural .
Part of Harrison ’ s problem with evidence , though , must the same problem I ’ d have if I thought his version of Christianity was the real thing .
His version is foolish .
If I thought it were real , there couldn ’ t be enough evidence in the world to make me think it was true .
Part of Harrison ’ s problem is that he doesn ’ t realize how much of a problem he has .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting forth a “ clichéd and cartoonish angry atheist attack.
” I ’ ll agree it ’ s not angry , but it sure is clichéd , sometimes even cartoonish .
I ’ ve seen it time and again in doing this series .
And he doesn ’ t even seem to realize it .
Why Can ’ t God Just Forgive ?
( Not Such a Hard Question , Actually ) Let ’ s get down to specifics .
I can ’ t do this with every question in that first chapter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in there .
But I can illustrate with one : Is that supposed to be a tough challenge ?
My goodness , I think a second-grader could make sense of the answer .
Harrison , “ clear thinker ” that he claims to be , should have had no trouble figuring it out himself .
What This “ Forgiveness ” Would Look Like in Action Let ’ s suppose Harrison is a single guy with a female co-worker , Maddie , who ’ s really attractive , but for no good reason starts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finds out about it the first day , and of course it bothers him , but since “ it seems like the right thing to do , ” he forgives her , just like that .
He sees her in the hallway , walks up to her and says , “ Maddie , I heard what you did , but I want you to know I forgive you.
” She looks at him a little puzzled , says , “ Well , okay , sure , ” and walks away .
The next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back-stabbed him again .
He sees her and tells her he forgives her again , just like yesterday .
Next day , the same thing , and again the next .
Day after day , for weeks , she bad-mouths him and he , being the gallant man that he is , tells her he forgives her .
Already this is an impossible scenario .
The real Harrison would quickly realize forgiveness no longer seems “ the right thing to do ; ” in fact , it ’ s wrong and foolish .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ long as I ’ m at it , I ’ ll carry it on to the next level of “ forgiveness.
” Why Can ’ t God Just Bring Us All to Heaven , Too ?
One day it all changes .
Maddie comes to Harrison with her sweetest smile on , saying , “ Well , hello , Guy !
I just found out you come from a rich family .
You ’ ve got a huge home with a swimming pool and tennis courts and massive kitchen and a home theater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I move in with you ?
” “ Are you serious ?
” he retorts .
“ After all you ’ ve done ?
You want my house and my stuff now ?
” She comes back ever so sweetly , “ What ?
How could you even hold any of that against me ?
I thought ‘ forgive ’ meant ‘ forgive and forget.
’ It ’ s all behind us now , isn ’ t it ?
Why should any of it even matter ?
” But of course it matters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She ’ s going from abusing him one way to using him another .
I don ’ t know what the real Harrison would think next , so don ’ t let this reflect on him ; it ’ s just imagination , okay ?
Let ’ s suppose his next thought was , “ Well , there would certainly be advantages .
She ’ s hot .
I wish there were some way I could say yes , but I just can ’ t do it when she ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he goes out for Chinese that night , opens the fortune cookie , and finds it saying , “ Your wish is granted .
Just say the word , and Maddie will change .
She ’ ll start treating you the way you ’ d love her to treat you , and she can move in , too .
No charge , no cost to you , just say it and it ’ s done.
” This is how Harrison thinks a god forgive us , day after day after day after day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Look , we all make mistakes , right ?
I ’ m just a god .
Who am I to judge ?
” And he should let us all come be in heaven with him .
And if someone said , “ Look , Mr. God , isn ’ t it clear enough by now ?
I don ’ t like you !
I don ’ t want to be here with you !
” the god could say , “ Oh , that ’ s easy , I can fix that.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your eyes , and suddenly you love him .
And in the background the god would be thinking , “ Whoa , that was easy .
I get all these cool people loving me forever in heaven , and at absolutely no cost to myself !
” Maddie doesn ’ t want Harrison , just the pool and the kitchen and tennis courts .
He gets some power , abuses it , and suddenly Maddie is madly in love with Guy , too .
She gets it all , including the part she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it really Maddie at that point ?
The parallel to God and heaven should be clear enough .
It ’ s not forgiveness , it ’ s mind control and abuse .
And none of that was hard , was it ?
Harrison ’ s “ clear thinking ” is shallow thinking .
Translation : “ God should be for smart people .
Skeptical people .
People like me.
” It goes along with Harrison ’ s belief that God should forgive people the same way he does .
He sets himself as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is exactly the pride that every student of the faith knows is at the root of all our distancing from God .
We who are not God have no business setting ourselves up as His standard !
So how did Harrison end up with such a shallow , superficial , toy version of Christianity — displayed not just here but throughout this book of his ?
The blame is therefore his , and the responsibility is his .
Maybe not entirely his , though .
We need to accept our part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Learn From This I don ’ t know if Harrison grew up in a church .
The closest I can find is , he came from “ the American South.
” He has certainly studied , though , and even though I ’ ve seen signs that he gets a lot of his information from the atheist internet , I also know he ’ s had many conversations with many Christians .
So where is it that Harrison acquired that distorted view of Christianity ?
Why does he still hold on to it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has no one ever explained any of it to him correctly ?
Are Christians even equipped to do that ?
Do our pastors , Sunday School teachers , and small group leaders ever teach these things ?
If they do , is anyone paying attention ?
Or do they think it ’ s just fine to drift along on the surface of Christianity , so a Guy P. Harrison can come alongside for another conversation , and walk away saying , “ Yep , more proof that Christianity is mindless ” ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve addressed 31 of his 50 .
Most of them are easy , given just a basic understanding of the faith ; but our faith stands up to the hard questions , too .
So here ’ s the one great question for Christians with which I ’ ll close this series : Christianity is ready and able to meet the test — but how many Christians are ?
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Be False : How Jesus ’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality .

Last in an extended series of answers to Guy P. Harrison’s book 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian. Read the series intro here.
This is answer number 31 to Guy P. Harrison’s 50, but it’s enough now. I’m closing this series today with a question Guy P. Harrison should have asked, but didn’t: How did such a self-identified student of religion come up with such a shallow, surface, grade-school understanding of Christianity?
Don’t jump to blaming him alone. Christians, we need to take responsibility and learn from it, too.
Harrison’s Grade-School Understanding of Christianity
His shallow view shows up all over his first chapter, “Does Christianity Make Sense?” which I skipped over at first. He can’t figure out how God could send God to earth and die as a sacrifice to God. We have an answer for that. It’s basic teaching — not the kind of teaching you’d introduce to little children, but any eighth or ninth grader should be able to handle it. Harrison acts as if he has never heard it before. The same goes for his questions on why Jesus had to die for our sins, why God had to save us “from Himself,” and why it’s enough to embrace Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Harrison also says there’s not enough evidence. Part of his problem is that he’s looking for supernatural claims to be “validated by the scientific process.” Science is the study of nature, so I can’t understand why he’d think that’s where he has to look for proof of the supernatural. Part of Harrison’s problem with evidence, though, must the same problem I’d have if I thought his version of Christianity was the real thing. His version is foolish. If I thought it were real, there couldn’t be enough evidence in the world to make me think it was true.
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Part of Harrison’s problem is that he doesn’t realize how much of a problem he has. In the intro he says he’s not putting forth a “clichéd and cartoonish angry atheist attack.” I’ll agree it’s not angry, but it sure is clichéd, sometimes even cartoonish. I’ve seen it time and again in doing this series. And he doesn’t even seem to realize it.
Why Can’t God Just Forgive? (Not Such a Hard Question, Actually)
Let’s get down to specifics. I can’t do this with every question in that first chapter; there are almost 50 of them in there. But I can illustrate with one:
If God wants to save us from hell, why not simply stop sending people to hell? If he wants to forgive us for being imperfect, then why not just forgive us? I have forgiven people many times in my life without requiring an oath of loyalty and love from them. I just forgave them because it seemed the right thing to do.
Is that supposed to be a tough challenge? My goodness, I think a second-grader could make sense of the answer. Harrison, “clear thinker” that he claims to be, should have had no trouble figuring it out himself.
What This “Forgiveness” Would Look Like in Action
Let’s suppose Harrison is a single guy with a female co-worker, Maddie, who’s really attractive, but for no good reason starts bad-mouthing him behind his back. He finds out about it the first day, and of course it bothers him, but since “it seems like the right thing to do,” he forgives her, just like that. He sees her in the hallway, walks up to her and says, “Maddie, I heard what you did, but I want you to know I forgive you.” She looks at him a little puzzled, says, “Well, okay, sure,” and walks away.
The next day he gets word she’s back-stabbed him again. He sees her and tells her he forgives her again, just like yesterday. Next day, the same thing, and again the next. Day after day, for weeks, she bad-mouths him and he, being the gallant man that he is, tells her he forgives her.
Already this is an impossible scenario. The real Harrison would quickly realize forgiveness no longer seems “the right thing to do;” in fact, it’s wrong and foolish. I could stop here, but as long as I’m at it, I’ll carry it on to the next level of “forgiveness.”
Why Can’t God Just Bring Us All to Heaven, Too?
One day it all changes. Maddie comes to Harrison with her sweetest smile on, saying, “Well, hello, Guy! I just found out you come from a rich family. You’ve got a huge home with a swimming pool and tennis courts and massive kitchen and a home theater. So I was wondering, could I move in with you?”
“Are you serious?” he retorts. “After all you’ve done? You want my house and my stuff now?” She comes back ever so sweetly, “What? How could you even hold any of that against me? I thought ‘forgive’ meant ‘forgive and forget.’ It’s all behind us now, isn’t it? Why should any of it even matter?” But of course it matters; any fool would know it matters. She’s going from abusing him one way to using him another.
None of that was hard, was it? Harrison’s “clear thinking” is shallow thinking.
I don’t know what the real Harrison would think next, so don’t let this reflect on him; it’s just imagination, okay? Let’s suppose his next thought was, “Well, there would certainly be advantages. She’s hot. I wish there were some way I could say yes, but I just can’t do it when she’s the kind of person she is.”
So he goes out for Chinese that night, opens the fortune cookie, and finds it saying, “Your wish is granted. Just say the word, and Maddie will change. She’ll start treating you the way you’d love her to treat you, and she can move in, too. No charge, no cost to you, just say it and it’s done.”
False Forgiveness
This is how Harrison thinks a god forgive us, day after day after day after day, our whole lives long. “Look, we all make mistakes, right? I’m just a god. Who am I to judge?” And he should let us all come be in heaven with him.
And if someone said, “Look, Mr. God, isn’t it clear enough by now? I don’t like you! I don’t want to be here with you!” the god could say, “Oh, that’s easy, I can fix that.” He snaps his fingers, you blink your eyes, and suddenly you love him. And in the background the god would be thinking, “Whoa, that was easy. I get all these cool people loving me forever in heaven, and at absolutely no cost to myself!”
Christianity is ready and able to meet its intellectual challenges — but how many Christians are?
Maddie doesn’t want Harrison, just the pool and the kitchen and tennis courts. He gets some power, abuses it, and suddenly Maddie is madly in love with Guy, too. She gets it all, including the part she didn’t want. And is it really Maddie at that point?
The parallel to God and heaven should be clear enough. It’s not forgiveness, it’s mind control and abuse. And none of that was hard, was it? Harrison’s “clear thinking” is shallow thinking.
Skeptical, Smart, and Very Proud
It’s proud thinking, too.
Shouldn’t the courage to accept reality as it is and not as we would prefer it to be [sic] an admirable quality? Why aren’t skeptics the first to find god? Wouldn’t those who make an honest effort to sort out sense from nonsense be the first to discover a real god if here there?
Translation: “God should be for smart people. Skeptical people. People like me.” It goes along with Harrison’s belief that God should forgive people the same way he does. He sets himself as the standard God should live up to.
This is exactly the pride that every student of the faith knows is at the root of all our distancing from God. We who are not God have no business setting ourselves up as His standard!
So how did Harrison end up with such a shallow, superficial, toy version of Christianity — displayed not just here but throughout this book of his? The blame is therefore his, and the responsibility is his. Maybe not entirely his, though. We need to accept our part of it, too.
Christians Can Learn From This
I don’t know if Harrison grew up in a church. The closest I can find is, he came from “the American South.” He has certainly studied, though, and even though I’ve seen signs that he gets a lot of his information from the atheist internet, I also know he’s had many conversations with many Christians.
So where is it that Harrison acquired that distorted view of Christianity? Why does he still hold on to it? In all his conversations with believers, has no one ever explained any of it to him correctly? Are Christians even equipped to do that? Do our pastors, Sunday School teachers, and small group leaders ever teach these things? If they do, is anyone paying attention? Or do they think it’s just fine to drift along on the surface of Christianity, so a Guy P. Harrison can come alongside for another conversation, and walk away saying, “Yep, more proof that Christianity is mindless”?
Harrison’s questions have answers. I’ve addressed 31 of his 50. Most of them are easy, given just a basic understanding of the faith; but our faith stands up to the hard questions, too. So here’s the one great question for Christians with which I’ll close this series: Christianity is ready and able to meet the test — but how many Christians are?
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books, including the recently released Too Good To Be False: How Jesus’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality.


thestream--2020-11-07--Please Hear My Heart, and I Pray Our Father’s Heart

This is the message I believe God wants the Church to hear today , when our nation is so divided @ @ @ @ @ so many .
If this encourages you , please share it with all your friends @ @ @ @ @ prayer for our nation to be healed .
We can not count on Facebook , @ @ @ @ @ media platforms to share God ’ s transforming truth .
So please , if you @ @ @ @ @ to all who want God ’ s best for everyone .
James Robison is The @ @ @ @ @ publisher .
He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International and co-host of LIFE Today .
@ @ @ @ @ of many books , including Indivisible ( with Jay Richards ) and Living Amazed .

This is the message I believe God wants the Church to hear today, when our nation is so divided and the Enemy has deceived so many. If this encourages you, please share it with all your friends who will join us in prayer for our nation to be healed. We cannot count on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms to share God’s transforming truth. So please, if you agree, help get this to all who want God’s best for everyone.
James Robison is The Stream’s founder and publisher. He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International and co-host of LIFE Today. He’s the author of many books, including Indivisible (with Jay Richards) and Living Amazed.


thestream--2020-11-08--How Trump Won While Losing

How Trump Won While Losing

Well , that ’ s over .
I mean , except in all the ways it ’ s not .
There will be recounts , recriminations , litigation .
I don ’ t think any of this will get anywhere .
I think Joe Biden will be sworn in in January as the next President of the United States .
In the meantime , we will see elections in Georgia that will surpass any kind of runoff we ’ ve ever seen before , in terms of spending and invective .
But sufficient for a day is its own evil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the future .
So , where are we on this November 7th ?
What have we learned ?
What might we learn ?
Can it teach us anything about America ?
About each other ?
And will the parties ask the right questions and get the right answers ?
I feel pretty confident in saying that there was a clear , and even overwhelming , winner of the popular vote , even if the electoral vote was pretty close .
That winner is Donald Trump .
Hear me out .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers .
I ’ m talking about motivations .
There seem to have been — and I think exit poll analysis and other research in coming months will bear this out — four major voter motivations in this election .
These were , in descending order of popularity : ( 1 ) people who positively wanted Donald Trump to remain president ; ( 2 ) those who positively did not want Donald Trump to remain president ; as distinct from ( 3 ) people who positively wanted Joe Biden to become president ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positively did not want Joe Biden to become president .
The top two categories represent the lion ’ s share of the vote cast .
It was an election pitting Trump , not against Biden , but against Not Trump .
The final result was that category three added enough voters to category two to overcome the very large numbers of those in category one .
I don ’ t say this to undermine Biden .
It must be understood if we are to going to honestly assess the state of our nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on into the next few years .
Republicans need to really dig deep and grapple with the huge size of that second category .
Why was it so big ?
Could the campaign have reduced the size ?
Did the factors that made the first category so big make the second so big as well ?
Democrats need to do likewise .
They also need to think about the huge differential between that category and the relatively small portion of voters who were actually excited about their candidate ( and the previous one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to think about whether they really want to go along with the left-most elements in their party and continue to call those in the first category racists , fascists , and deplorables .
Do they really want to write off these people as angry , resentful , hateful people , and not see them as fellow citizens with serious concerns Because there are 70 million of them , and they aren ’ t going away — which Democrats might find to their dismay in the midterms .
All these questions ought to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It would be helpful and healthy for the future of our society and our civic discourse .
I ’ m not very confident , however , that this reflection will take place .
My message to Trump voters is that not everyone who really hated your choice is some kind of socialist revolutionary who hates freedom .
Many had real concerns , the same kinds of concerns that Trump voters had , like jobs and health care .
A lot of them were genuinely opposed to Trump ’ s words and behavior .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ d say that few people who voted against your choice are racists or fascists .
Many had real concerns , the same kinds of concerns Biden voters had .
They saw your candidate as a threat to things they deeply valued , like religious liberty , with good reason .
I ’ d also say that a lot of people who voted for Biden were absolutely unenthusiastic about him , and he owes his victory to his opponent and not to his own winsomeness .
There are many , many people with good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that stark , false dichotomy .
There are votes to be gained for each party in understanding those voters .
They ’ re out there , for anyone interested in going after them .
They just need to listen .
Joseph Grabowski is an independent scholar from Philadelphia and a past contributor to The Stream .

Well, that’s over. I mean, except in all the ways it’s not. There will be recounts, recriminations, litigation. I don’t think any of this will get anywhere. I think Joe Biden will be sworn in in January as the next President of the United States.
In the meantime, we will see elections in Georgia that will surpass any kind of runoff we’ve ever seen before, in terms of spending and invective. But sufficient for a day is its own evil. We’ll leave that conversation for the future.
So, where are we on this November 7th? What have we learned? What might we learn? Can it teach us anything about America? About each other? And will the parties ask the right questions and get the right answers?
The Winner Trump
I feel pretty confident in saying that there was a clear, and even overwhelming, winner of the popular vote, even if the electoral vote was pretty close. That winner is Donald Trump.
Hear me out. I’m not claiming fraud or disputing reported numbers. I’m talking about motivations. There seem to have been — and I think exit poll analysis and other research in coming months will bear this out — four major voter motivations in this election. These were, in descending order of popularity:
(1) people who positively wanted Donald Trump to remain president;
(2) those who positively did not want Donald Trump to remain president; as distinct from
(3) people who positively wanted Joe Biden to become president; and finally
(4) those who positively did not want Joe Biden to become president.
The top two categories represent the lion’s share of the vote cast. It was an election pitting Trump, not against Biden, but against Not Trump. The final result was that category three added enough voters to category two to overcome the very large numbers of those in category one.
I don’t say this to undermine Biden. It must be understood if we are to going to honestly assess the state of our nation in the soul-searching that will be going on into the next few years.
The Huge Second Category
Republicans need to really dig deep and grapple with the huge size of that second category. Why was it so big? Could the campaign have reduced the size? Did the factors that made the first category so big make the second so big as well?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Democrats need to do likewise. They also need to think about the huge differential between that category and the relatively small portion of voters who were actually excited about their candidate (and the previous one).
Democrats would also do well to think about whether they really want to go along with the left-most elements in their party and continue to call those in the first category racists, fascists, and deplorables. Do they really want to write off these people as angry, resentful, hateful people, and not see them as fellow citizens with serious concerns Because there are 70 million of them, and they aren’t going away — which Democrats might find to their dismay in the midterms.
All these questions ought to be asked, and others as well. It would be helpful and healthy for the future of our society and our civic discourse. I’m not very confident, however, that this reflection will take place.
The Message
My message to Trump voters is that not everyone who really hated your choice is some kind of socialist revolutionary who hates freedom. Many had real concerns, the same kinds of concerns that Trump voters had, like jobs and health care. A lot of them were genuinely opposed to Trump’s words and behavior.
To the Biden voters, I’d say that few people who voted against your choice are racists or fascists. Many had real concerns, the same kinds of concerns Biden voters had. They saw your candidate as a threat to things they deeply valued, like religious liberty, with good reason. I’d also say that a lot of people who voted for Biden were absolutely unenthusiastic about him, and he owes his victory to his opponent and not to his own winsomeness.
There are many, many people with good and honest motivations all through the middle of that stark, false dichotomy. There are votes to be gained for each party in understanding those voters. They’re out there, for anyone interested in going after them. They just need to listen.
Joseph Grabowski is an independent scholar from Philadelphia and a past contributor to The Stream.