thestream--2020-07-21--The Real Line Dividing America. It’s Not Trump/Anti-Trump or Conservative/Liberal

Some Americans believe it ’ s literally their religious duty to support President Trump .
Others believe it ’ s literally their religious duty to oppose him .
Many Americans felt like this in the decade leading up to the Civil War .
Today things won ’ t come to a shooting war between Right and Left .
The former has most of the guns and most of the food .
The latter would quickly grasp that , if they don ’ t already .
What we are seeing and will see is an intensification of spiritual warfare .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberals and conservatives .
It ’ s between liberals and illiberal extremists , who pull more moderate folks willy-nilly toward them .
You can find liberals on the Right , such as Robert P. George , who support the classical liberalism of the American founding .
That ’ s where I am too .
You can also find liberals on the Left , such as the intellectuals who signed the letter against cancel culture a few weeks ago and were pilloried for their trouble by the wokerati .
No , the real warfare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate — is between liberals and illiberals .
There ’ s an illiberal Left as well as an illiberal Right .
The illiberal Left is far more dangerous .
The illiberal Right consists mostly of white supremacists and others in the “ alt right.
” They have little influence on the heights of culture and are always on the defensive .
The president plays footsie with some of them .
This accommodates irrationality for political expediency , but doesn ’ t make them any more influential .
There ’ s also a Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s the “ integralists.
” They believe the state must uphold the true religion , which is Catholicism .
The polity should be sectarian in a sense the Founders rejected .
It should make Catholic moral teaching the law , for example .
But those guys aren ’ t dangerous .
They make their case by careful , reasonable arguments .
Partly for that reason , they have almost no influence beyond a narrow circle of Catholic intellectuals .
The illiberal Left has been taking over the universities for decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the young people who graduate from those universities into corporate jobs and the teaching profession .
They are cancel culture ’ s most enthusiastic backers , and they are the future .
The Black Lives Matter organization plays their chords perfectly .
They regard even calm , thoughtful opposition to them as depraved .
Hence their default tendency to dismiss opponents with character attacks , mobbing , silencing , ostracizing , and when possible , “ re-education ” camp .
That isn ’ t just a bad habit .
It is a spiritual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
What must be understood is that the illiberal Left is profoundly antithetical to the American political order .
It believes the United States is irremediably racist , as well as ruthlessly capitalist .
It insists a regime dedicated to social justice as they conceive it must ultimately replace the system we have now .
They want to bring down a system that defends individual rights , freedom of speech and of religion , parental authority , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of law .
All the gifts for self-government our Constitution gave us .
That means accredited victim groups overthrowing their oppressors and ensuring “ equity.
” That in turn means equality of outcome for the people whose identities are thought to hinge on their membership in such groups .
It also means silencing and disempowering those who defend classical liberalism and the Constitution .
The illiberal Left is infected by the spiritual virus called “ wokeness.
” It insinuates itself into the brain cells of its victims and replicates itself relentlessly , taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s why more and more people , historical figures as well as the living with reputations and jobs at stake , flunk the wokesters ’ ideological purity tests .
We ’ re seeing The Revolution 2.0 already starting to eat its own .
Cancel culture has only begun .
They want to reach Year Zero and start over .
Worse , too many decent Americans are taken in by this .
They embrace uncontroversial bromides like “ Fight racism !
” while the revolutionaries work try to turn everything upside down and inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becomes a way of drawing people innocently into a revolutionary game they don ’ t know they are playing .
Such is the main challenge we face right now .
It is a bigger challenge than mere Communism , all the more because so few understand it .
For all his faults , which I needn ’ t rehearse , Trump does understand it .
I was heartened by his Mt .
Rushmore speech .
Don ’ t let his many and rabid enemies blind you to what is at stake .

Some Americans believe it’s literally their religious duty to support President Trump. Others believe it’s literally their religious duty to oppose him. Many Americans felt like this in the decade leading up to the Civil War. Today things won’t come to a shooting war between Right and Left. The former has most of the guns and most of the food. The latter would quickly grasp that, if they don’t already.
What we are seeing and will see is an intensification of spiritual warfare. But it’s not a war between liberals and conservatives.
The Spiritual War
It’s between liberals and illiberal extremists, who pull more moderate folks willy-nilly toward them. You can find liberals on the Right, such as Robert P. George, who support the classical liberalism of the American founding. That’s where I am too. You can also find liberals on the Left, such as the intellectuals who signed the letter against cancel culture a few weeks ago and were pilloried for their trouble by the wokerati.
No, the real warfare — as distinct from honest, civil debate — is between liberals and illiberals.
For more on this, see Michael Liccione’s We’re Facing Civil War, Because We Don’t Agree on What America Is About.
There’s an illiberal Left as well as an illiberal Right. The illiberal Left is far more dangerous.
The illiberal Right consists mostly of white supremacists and others in the “alt right.” They have little influence on the heights of culture and are always on the defensive. The president plays footsie with some of them. This accommodates irrationality for political expediency, but doesn’t make them any more influential.
There’s also a Christian illiberal Right. In the Catholic world, it’s the “integralists.” They believe the state must uphold the true religion, which is Catholicism. The polity should be sectarian in a sense the Founders rejected. It should make Catholic moral teaching the law, for example.
But those guys aren’t dangerous. They make their case by careful, reasonable arguments. Partly for that reason, they have almost no influence beyond a narrow circle of Catholic intellectuals.
The Antithetical Left
The illiberal Left has been taking over the universities for decades. It thus shapes the attitudes of the young people who graduate from those universities into corporate jobs and the teaching profession. They are cancel culture’s most enthusiastic backers, and they are the future. The Black Lives Matter organization plays their chords perfectly.
They regard even calm, thoughtful opposition to them as depraved. Hence their default tendency to dismiss opponents with character attacks, mobbing, silencing, ostracizing, and when possible, “re-education” camp. That isn’t just a bad habit. It is a spiritual disorder.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
What must be understood is that the illiberal Left is profoundly antithetical to the American political order. It believes the United States is irremediably racist, as well as ruthlessly capitalist. It insists a regime dedicated to social justice as they conceive it must ultimately replace the system we have now.
They want to bring down a system that defends individual rights, freedom of speech and of religion, parental authority, the separation o powers, the rule of law. All the gifts for self-government our Constitution gave us.
Bringing Down the System
That means accredited victim groups overthrowing their oppressors and ensuring “equity.” That in turn means equality of outcome for the people whose identities are thought to hinge on their membership in such groups. It also means silencing and disempowering those who defend classical liberalism and the Constitution.
The illiberal Left is infected by the spiritual virus called “wokeness.” It insinuates itself into the brain cells of its victims and replicates itself relentlessly, taking over the infected hosts. That’s why more and more people, historical figures as well as the living with reputations and jobs at stake, flunk the wokesters’ ideological purity tests.
We’re seeing The Revolution 2.0 already starting to eat its own. Cancel culture has only begun. They want to reach Year Zero and start over.
Worse, too many decent Americans are taken in by this. They embrace uncontroversial bromides like “Fight racism!” while the revolutionaries work try to turn everything upside down and inside out. “Fight racism!” becomes a way of drawing people innocently into a revolutionary game they don’t know they are playing.
The Main Challenge
Such is the main challenge we face right now. It is a bigger challenge than mere Communism, all the more because so few understand it. For all his faults, which I needn’t rehearse, Trump does understand it. I was heartened by his Mt. Rushmore speech. Don’t let his many and rabid enemies blind you to what is at stake.
Michael Liccione has a doctorate in philosophy and has taught at several institutions, including the Catholic University of America and the University of St. Thomas (Houston). A former editor at First Things, he writes for Mind and Spirit, Intellectual Takeout, and other sites.


thestream--2020-07-21--COVID’s Latest Trick: Making Coins Disappear

COVID-19 has altered almost every facet of our lives .
And it doesn ’ t seem to be done yet .
The latest trick from up COVID-19 ’ s sleeve ?
A national coin shortage .
How did it come to this ?
How did the nation get to a point where businesses across the country are begging patrons to pay in exact change ?
How Coins Go From Here to There and Everywhere In Between Let ’ s take a break from 2020 .
In normal times , businesses withdraw coins from banks in order to stock cash registers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transaction , the cashier simply hands off the correct amount to the customer .
Now , this customer has a few choices to make .
She can spend the coins , save them in a jar , or exchange them at a bank or coin service ( i.e .
Coinstar ) .
However , let ’ s simplify things a bit and ignore saving them in a jar for now .
In the long run , those mason jars of coins end up spent or exchanged .
So for the moment , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coins are spent , then they end up in the cash register of a business and they will eventually be sent back out into the world as change or deposited at a bank .
If the coins are exchanged for bills , then the bank will hold them until a business comes calling for more coins .
As for how coins enter this circle of life , we need to turn to the Federal Reserve and US Mint .
Whenever a bank needs cash or coins , it can reach out to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Banks .
From there , the bank ’ s reserve account will be debited to pay for the withdrawal .
However , some larger banks do acquire coins directly from the US Mint .
The flow between banks and the Fed or US Mint is mostly done to meet changes in demand .
However , this exchange also doubles as a method to introduce freshly minted coins and retire worn ones .
The story does have a few more paths interwoven within this .
But for our purposes , this is enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let ’ s return to 2020 .
First up , shops closed across the board to combat the spread of COVID-19 .
Then , the World Health Organization announced that the virus may be spreading through cash transactions .
Next , the National Institutes of Health announced that COVID-19 could survive on metal surfaces ( i.e .
coins ) for extended periods of time .
And then , the US Centers for Disease Control recommended stores utilize touchless payment options .
Remember how I said jars of coins are inconsequential in the long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so lucky in the short run .
The risk of contaminated money has turned jars of loose change into nuclear waste — no one wants to touch it and no one knows what to do with it .
So it never gets spent or deposited .
And it doesn ’ t end there .
To top it off , the US Mint reduced production , like many businesses , in order to protect its employees in the wake of the pandemic .
Will Luther was able to show that there is not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one compares 2019 and 2020 data , but also a noticeable uptick in production as the Mint has tried to respond to the shortage .
In short , the flow of coins from government to banks , banks to businesses , businesses to customers , and customers to banks has all but stopped .
Almost every link in the chain has been interrupted .
Now , all is not lost .
While it is still an inconvenience , Wawa has decided to let customers use cash on the condition that purchases are rounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the difference is donated to charities .
This move puts a positive spin on the perceived loss for those unfamiliar with Swedish rounding .
And this may be a more long-term solution .
As many other countries have done prior , it may be time to abandon the penny .
The US Mint loses more money on the penny than any other coin .
And while it ’ s hard to imagine life without it , the truth is that it ’ s really quite simple to adjust prices in order to deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Shore Bank took a different route and decided to open their coin counting machines to everyone , regardless of whether or not they hold an account .
North Shore hopes that waiving fees will get coins out of the couch cushions and into circulation .
Amarillo National Bank , in Texas , went one step further by paying 10 percent cashback for coins brought in .
But human ingenuity does not end there !
J.P. Koning noted that grocery stores in Argentina are actually issuing small notes , or IOUs , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Koning says this is directly akin to the idea that George Selgin suggested here .
By issuing their own IOUs , stores circumvent the problem of waiting for the government to mint and distribute enough coins .
All in all , I don ’ t think COVID-19 is done with us yet .
Hindsight might be 2020 , but the rest of 2020 is still unclear .
This year has been riddled with surprises and I imagine there are more to come .
Whether the solution is abandoning the penny , let banks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply , or let private businesses issue their own currencies , Will Luther is correct that now is the time to acknowledge the weaknesses of our current system and make improvements .
Nicholas Anthony is an M.A .
student at George Mason University .

COVID-19 has altered almost every facet of our lives. And it doesn’t seem to be done yet. The latest trick from up COVID-19’s sleeve? A national coin shortage.
How did it come to this? How did the nation get to a point where businesses across the country are begging patrons to pay in exact change?
How Coins Go From Here to There and Everywhere In Between
Let’s take a break from 2020. In normal times, businesses withdraw coins from banks in order to stock cash registers. When change is needed for a transaction, the cashier simply hands off the correct amount to the customer.
Now, this customer has a few choices to make. She can spend the coins, save them in a jar, or exchange them at a bank or coin service (i.e. Coinstar). However, let’s simplify things a bit and ignore saving them in a jar for now. In the long run, those mason jars of coins end up spent or exchanged. So for the moment, it’s of little consequence.
If the coins are spent, then they end up in the cash register of a business and they will eventually be sent back out into the world as change or deposited at a bank. If the coins are exchanged for bills, then the bank will hold them until a business comes calling for more coins.
As for how coins enter this circle of life, we need to turn to the Federal Reserve and US Mint. Whenever a bank needs cash or coins, it can reach out to one of the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks. From there, the bank’s reserve account will be debited to pay for the withdrawal. However, some larger banks do acquire coins directly from the US Mint. The flow between banks and the Fed or US Mint is mostly done to meet changes in demand. However, this exchange also doubles as a method to introduce freshly minted coins and retire worn ones.
The story does have a few more paths interwoven within this. But for our purposes, this is enough to understand what has happened here.
Stopping the Flow
So let’s return to 2020. First up, shops closed across the board to combat the spread of COVID-19. Then, the World Health Organization announced that the virus may be spreading through cash transactions. Next, the National Institutes of Health announced that COVID-19 could survive on metal surfaces (i.e. coins) for extended periods of time. And then, the US Centers for Disease Control recommended stores utilize touchless payment options.
Remember how I said jars of coins are inconsequential in the long run? Well, we are not so lucky in the short run. The risk of contaminated money has turned jars of loose change into nuclear waste — no one wants to touch it and no one knows what to do with it. So it never gets spent or deposited.
And it doesn’t end there.
To top it off, the US Mint reduced production, like many businesses, in order to protect its employees in the wake of the pandemic. Will Luther was able to show that there is not only an observable shift in coin production when one compares 2019 and 2020 data, but also a noticeable uptick in production as the Mint has tried to respond to the shortage.
In short, the flow of coins from government to banks, banks to businesses, businesses to customers, and customers to banks has all but stopped. Almost every link in the chain has been interrupted.
Looking Forward
Now, all is not lost. While it is still an inconvenience, Wawa has decided to let customers use cash on the condition that purchases are rounded up to the nearest dollar and then the difference is donated to charities. This move puts a positive spin on the perceived loss for those unfamiliar with Swedish rounding.
And this may be a more long-term solution. As many other countries have done prior, it may be time to abandon the penny. The US Mint loses more money on the penny than any other coin. And while it’s hard to imagine life without it, the truth is that it’s really quite simple to adjust prices in order to deal with its absence.
In Wisconsin, North Shore Bank took a different route and decided to open their coin counting machines to everyone, regardless of whether or not they hold an account. North Shore hopes that waiving fees will get coins out of the couch cushions and into circulation. Amarillo National Bank, in Texas, went one step further by paying 10 percent cashback for coins brought in.
But human ingenuity does not end there! J.P. Koning noted that grocery stores in Argentina are actually issuing small notes, or IOUs, in response to their own currency shortage. Koning says this is directly akin to the idea that George Selgin suggested here. By issuing their own IOUs, stores circumvent the problem of waiting for the government to mint and distribute enough coins.
All in all, I don’t think COVID-19 is done with us yet. Hindsight might be 2020, but the rest of 2020 is still unclear. This year has been riddled with surprises and I imagine there are more to come. Whether the solution is abandoning the penny, let banks pay premiums for coins to reallocate the supply, or let private businesses issue their own currencies, Will Luther is correct that now is the time to acknowledge the weaknesses of our current system and make improvements.
Nicholas Anthony is an M.A. student at George Mason University.
Originally published at fee.org. Reprinted with permission.


thestream--2020-07-21--The End of Four-Wall Christianity

The End of Four-Wall Christianity

It will be great when we can gather together again in our church buildings , freely and without restriction , to worship and pray and hear the teaching of God ’ s Word .
But it ’ s also great that we are being forced to think outside the box — and that means thinking outside of the four walls of our buildings .
The fact is , the people we want to reach live outside our buildings , and rather than expecting them to come to us , we should do our best to go to them .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four-wall ” church mentality lends itself to a form of spectator Christianity , where we show up once a week to enjoy a great performance .
What worship !
What preaching !
What a service !
And that ’ s it .
The “ laity ” sits back while the “ clergy ” performs , then we go out for a nice family meal and go on with our normal lives .
That is not the faith or practice of the New Testament .
That is not the gospel lived out .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to church .
That is not what Jesus died for .
We are called to be a Body , and every member of the Body plays an essential role .
And all of us , as followers of Jesus , are called to participate in the Great Commission , either by prayer or by sharing our faith or by giving financially or by all of the above .
We should live this and breathe this and think about this as a major part of our mission here on earth : we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disciples .
Now , with the ongoing challenges of the pandemic , we have a great opportunity to do a major reset , to ask some deeper questions , and to say , “ Here I am Lord !
Send me and use me.
” Before I came to faith in late 1971 , I was a heavy drug user , doing everything from pot to heroin ( and beyond ) .
I also played drums in a rock band and loved going to rock concerts , all of which meant total immersion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drugs and rock scene with complete abandon , giving my body and mind to the music and to drugs , literally holding back nothing .
Then , by God ’ s great mercy and quite without my initiative , I was drawn to the Lord and was radically born-again at the age of 16 .
In a moment , everything changed and my life was saved from destruction .
No more drugs .
No more decadence .
No more carnal living .
My life was clean , and I was living for God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I needed a deeper commitment of my life to the Lord .
As I said to myself one day , “ I could lead a clean but empty life , or I could give myself to God the way I gave myself to rock music and drugs.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
After that , things changed dramatically again , as I spent virtually every free hour on my knees in prayer .
Or studying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
By the summer of 1973 , while just 18 years-old , I had read the Bible cover to cover 5 times and memorized more than 4,000 verses .
( My habit for the previous six months was to memorize 20 verses a day . )
And how I loved to spend time in God ’ s presence in prayer !
It was also my habit to share my faith with someone new every day , and I attended church services five days a week .
This was normal life for me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a radically different life schedule , my heart attitude remains the same .
It is against this backdrop that I journaled in October 1999 , “ How I hate white collar religion !
How I hate commercialism !
How I hate Christianity within four walls !
How I hate faith without fire , profession without passion , belief without burden .
How I resonate with the total ‘ putting oneself into a thing ’ mentality ” — even referring here to how godless rock stars threw themselves into their music .
Why weren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lord ?
If we could be so zealous for that which destroyed , why were we so tentative with He Who gave life ?
And why weren ’ t we going into our world — whatever our “ world ” might be — and sharing our faith boldly ?
Go After Them Catherine Booth , co-founder of the Salvation Army with her husband William , chafed at the idea of waiting for people to come to our church buildings .
And , with no concern for political correctness , she urged her followers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She said , “ Take the bandage off their eyes which Satan has bound round them ; knock and hammer and burn in , with the fire of the Holy Ghost , your words into their poor hardened , darkened hearts , until they begin to realise that they are IN DANGER ; that there is something amiss .
Go after them.
” Go after them indeed .
With wisdom , yes .
With sensitivity , yes .
With compassion , yes .
With patience , yes .
But by all means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing reports of great outreaches taking place in the middle of city protests .
There are also reports of something that feels like a fresh “ Jesus People Movement ” breaking out on California beaches .
My heart says , “ It is time !
” So , let us invade our communities with the good news of forgiveness and transformation through the cross .
Let us shine our lights in our neighborhoods , offering hope and a new way of life .
And let us use the four-walls of our buildings as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ museum or monument .
If not now , then when ?
I ’ m all for inviting people to visit our church services and be touched and transformed .
But how much better is it for us to carry the message wherever we go .
Perhaps right now the Spirit is saying , “ Go !
I ’ m sending you.
” Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads : Will We Pass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

It will be great when we can gather together again in our church buildings, freely and without restriction, to worship and pray and hear the teaching of God’s Word. But it’s also great that we are being forced to think outside the box — and that means thinking outside of the four walls of our buildings.
The fact is, the people we want to reach live outside our buildings, and rather than expecting them to come to us, we should do our best to go to them.
It’s also true that the “four-wall” church mentality lends itself to a form of spectator Christianity, where we show up once a week to enjoy a great performance. What worship! What preaching! What a service! And that’s it. The “laity” sits back while the “clergy” performs, then we go out for a nice family meal and go on with our normal lives.
That is not the faith or practice of the New Testament. That is not the gospel lived out. That is not being the church rather than going to church. That is not what Jesus died for.
A Major Reset
We are called to be a Body, and every member of the Body plays an essential role. And all of us, as followers of Jesus, are called to participate in the Great Commission, either by prayer or by sharing our faith or by giving financially or by all of the above.
We should live this and breathe this and think about this as a major part of our mission here on earth: we are here to be disciples and to make disciples.
Now, with the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, we have a great opportunity to do a major reset, to ask some deeper questions, and to say, “Here I am Lord! Send me and use me.”
Holding Back Nothing
Before I came to faith in late 1971, I was a heavy drug user, doing everything from pot to heroin (and beyond). I also played drums in a rock band and loved going to rock concerts, all of which meant total immersion. And so I jumped into the drugs and rock scene with complete abandon, giving my body and mind to the music and to drugs, literally holding back nothing.
Then, by God’s great mercy and quite without my initiative, I was drawn to the Lord and was radically born-again at the age of 16. In a moment, everything changed and my life was saved from destruction. No more drugs. No more decadence. No more carnal living. My life was clean, and I was living for God.
And yet something was missing. I needed a deeper commitment of my life to the Lord. As I said to myself one day, “I could lead a clean but empty life, or I could give myself to God the way I gave myself to rock music and drugs.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
After that, things changed dramatically again, as I spent virtually every free hour on my knees in prayer. Or studying the Scriptures. Or memorizing the Scriptures. By the summer of 1973, while just 18 years-old, I had read the Bible cover to cover 5 times and memorized more than 4,000 verses. (My habit for the previous six months was to memorize 20 verses a day.) And how I loved to spend time in God’s presence in prayer!
It was also my habit to share my faith with someone new every day, and I attended church services five days a week.
This was normal life for me, and to this day, even with a radically different life schedule, my heart attitude remains the same.
White Collar Religion
It is against this backdrop that I journaled in October 1999, “How I hate white collar religion! How I hate commercialism! How I hate Christianity within four walls! How I hate faith without fire, profession without passion, belief without burden. How I resonate with the total ‘putting oneself into a thing’ mentality” — even referring here to how godless rock stars threw themselves into their music.
Why weren’t we throwing ourselves into the Lord? If we could be so zealous for that which destroyed, why were we so tentative with He Who gave life? And why weren’t we going into our world — whatever our “world” might be — and sharing our faith boldly?
Go After Them
Catherine Booth, co-founder of the Salvation Army with her husband William, chafed at the idea of waiting for people to come to our church buildings. And, with no concern for political correctness, she urged her followers to go and find those in need. She said, “Take the bandage off their eyes which Satan has bound round them; knock and hammer and burn in, with the fire of the Holy Ghost, your words into their poor hardened, darkened hearts, until they begin to realise that they are IN DANGER; that there is something amiss. Go after them.”
Go after them indeed. With wisdom, yes. With sensitivity, yes. With compassion, yes. With patience, yes. But by all means, go after them.
I am hearing reports of great outreaches taking place in the middle of city protests. There are also reports of something that feels like a fresh “Jesus People Movement” breaking out on California beaches. My heart says, “It is time!”
So, let us invade our communities with the good news of forgiveness and transformation through the cross. Let us shine our lights in our neighborhoods, offering hope and a new way of life. And let us use the four-walls of our buildings as a base of operations, not a museum or monument. If not now, then when?
I’m all for inviting people to visit our church services and be touched and transformed. But how much better is it for us to carry the message wherever we go.
Perhaps right now the Spirit is saying, “Go! I’m sending you.”
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test? Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-07-21--Military Photo of the Day: Anti-Terrorist Training in Spain

A U.S. Marine assigned to an anti-terrorism unit fires an M4 automatic rifle during a recent live fire training exercise @ @ @ @ @ Spain .
Thank you to this brave Marine for serving our country overseas .
Please @ @ @ @ @ Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day @

A U.S. Marine assigned to an anti-terrorism unit fires an M4 automatic rifle during a recent live fire training exercise at Naval Station Rota in Spain.
Thank you to this brave Marine for serving our country overseas.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.


thestream--2020-07-21--Josh McDowell’s Big Warning About COVID-19, Pornography and Depression

Famed evangelist Josh McDowell is worried about the impact COVID-19 is having on an already beleaguered population , warning that the pandemic will likely worsen a variety of social issues , including pornography addiction , loneliness and depression .
“ The lockdown … it feeds into pornography , loneliness , depression and mental health , ” McDowell recently told The Pure Flix Podcast , noting that loneliness , stress , fear , isolation and the unknown are all issues that are increasingly intensifying amid the COVID-19 crisis .
And the evangelist , who has spent decades exploring cultural issues and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he believes these issues will be more pronounced once the lockdowns end .
Listen to McDowell ’ s warnings and solutions on The Pure Flix Podcast — the best Christian podcast for faith and entertainment : “ These things are not under the radar .
It ’ s just that [ the ] church is not looking at the radar , ” McDowell said .
“ When we come out of this COVID — and we will — you ’ re going to see a greater in-depth problem with loneliness , depression , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young people in Generation Z and the already increasing mental health and loneliness concerns that were observed among this population prior to the COVID-19 outbreak .
Among his concerns are the ways in which young people are choosing to communicate with one another .
While McDowell said people were designed to relate to one another in interpersonal relationships , technology has transformed the realities of how we interact .
“ This generation has learned to communicate with their thumbs , not their tongues , ” McDowell said .
“ And as a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the internet , but they ’ re not relating to people on the internet.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
The evangelist is on a mission to help pastors , Christians and churches meet these needs , though , with his ministry rolling out free resources to help combat loneliness , depression and other pervasive cultural issues .
“ We need to figure out how do we minister to people like that and it doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ The church had better address these things or the church will be marginalized — period .
If we don ’ t address loneliness , depression , anxiety , mental health and relationships we will be obsolete.
” McDowell knows how hard pastors work and how much is on the plates of various church staffers , but he ’ s hoping these resources will help ease some of these burdens while also providing healing .
Visit Josh McDowell Ministry for resources and more information on how you can help .
Billy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commentator for more than a decade .
He is the director of communications and content for PureFlix.com , the former senior editor at Faithwire.com and the former faith and culture editor at TheBlaze .
This article was originally published on Pure Flix Insider .
Visit Pure Flix for access to thousands of faith and family-friendly movies and TV shows .
You can get a free trial here .

Famed evangelist Josh McDowell is worried about the impact COVID-19 is having on an already beleaguered population, warning that the pandemic will likely worsen a variety of social issues, including pornography addiction, loneliness and depression.
“The lockdown … it feeds into pornography, loneliness, depression and mental health,” McDowell recently told The Pure Flix Podcast, noting that loneliness, stress, fear, isolation and the unknown are all issues that are increasingly intensifying amid the COVID-19 crisis.
And the evangelist, who has spent decades exploring cultural issues and ministering to the masses, added that he believes these issues will be more pronounced once the lockdowns end.
Listen to McDowell’s warnings and solutions on The Pure Flix Podcast — the best Christian podcast for faith and entertainment:
“These things are not under the radar. It’s just that [the] church is not looking at the radar,” McDowell said. “When we come out of this COVID — and we will — you’re going to see a greater in-depth problem with loneliness, depression, anxiety and pornography.”
Mental Health and Loneliness
McDowell also discussed young people in Generation Z and the already increasing mental health and loneliness concerns that were observed among this population prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Among his concerns are the ways in which young people are choosing to communicate with one another. While McDowell said people were designed to relate to one another in interpersonal relationships, technology has transformed the realities of how we interact.
“This generation has learned to communicate with their thumbs, not their tongues,” McDowell said. “And as a result, they might be connecting with people on the internet, but they’re not relating to people on the internet.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
The evangelist is on a mission to help pastors, Christians and churches meet these needs, though, with his ministry rolling out free resources to help combat loneliness, depression and other pervasive cultural issues.
Finding Solutions
“We need to figure out how do we minister to people like that and it doesn’t come easy,” he said. “The church had better address these things or the church will be marginalized — period. If we don’t address loneliness, depression, anxiety, mental health and relationships we will be obsolete.”
McDowell knows how hard pastors work and how much is on the plates of various church staffers, but he’s hoping these resources will help ease some of these burdens while also providing healing. Visit Josh McDowell Ministry for resources and more information on how you can help.
Billy Hallowell has worked as a journalist and commentator for more than a decade. He is the director of communications and content for PureFlix.com, the former senior editor at Faithwire.com and the former faith and culture editor at TheBlaze.
This article was originally published on Pure Flix Insider. Visit Pure Flix for access to thousands of faith and family-friendly movies and TV shows. You can get a free trial here.


Mumbling Toward Mecca

Yesterday Democrat Presidential candidate Joe Biden remotely addressed a gathering billed as the “ Million Muslim Votes Summit.
” Biden called for that 1.1 % demographic to help end the horrors of President Donald Trump ’ s administration .
These include an ongoing “ assault on black and brown people , ” “ vile Muslim ban ” and overall “ Islamophobia.
” The former Vice President to the most pro-Muslim President in American history went further .
Mumbling toward Mecca , Joe said the following .
“ I wish we were taught more in our schools about the Islamic faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great confessional faiths and what people don ’ t realize is one of my avocations is theology .
Don ’ t realize is that we all come from the same root here in terms of our fundamental basic beliefs.
” Lies , Damned Lies and Statistics about Race and Immigration I shall address lay theologian Joe Biden ’ s pontificating on Islam in a bit .
First , let ’ s examine his other claims — no doubt written by a 20-something staffer with an Ivy League degree and absolutely no knowledge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political pandering .
Black Americans must have missed that memo about Trump ’ s assault on them : as of last month , his support in the African-American community was up to 40 % .
Likewise for “ brown ” folks .
Almost one-third of Hispanics say they support the President .
( And that was before the Left decided to trash Goya products , which backfired on them . )
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ darker-skinned is reserved for immigrants and refugees ?
Well , the most recent data shows the US accepting 1.1 million refugees yearly .
Where do most of them come from ?
The top countries are Mexico , India , China and the Philippines .
Three of those four populations have skin hues acceptable to Biden and the DNC .
But surely Herr Trump discriminates against refugees with higher melanin levels ?
Not so fast , my liberal friends .
In 2019 Trump showed his hate for black folks so much that his administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republic of Congo than anywhere else .
This was followed by Myanmar , Ukraine , Eritrea and Afghanistan .
Do the math , Democrats .
Yet More Lies about Muslim Statistics Perhaps Joe ’ s handlers were trying to say that all Muslims are black or brown .
Well , only 1 in 5 of US Muslims is black , and a large percentage of immigrant Muslims come from Iran .
I demolished this common ignorant intersectional trope some years back .
Yet they still keep trotting it out .
I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Muslim listeners that the GOP was going to put them back in chains .
Speaking of “ vile , ” that more accurately describes the Dhimmi Dems ’ constant lie that Trump banned Muslims .
In fact , his list of interdicted countries comprised only 12 % of the Islamic world .
And it was upheld by the Supreme Court — which of course is probably racist according by current DNC standards , too , since it does have some white judges .
Now , to the deeper allegations by that eminent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , St. Somnolence .
To be fair , his assertion that Islam is a “ great confessional faith ” and his implication that Christians and Muslims share “ fundamental basic beliefs ” is not wildly out of line with ecumaniacal post-Vatican II teachings in the world ’ s largest Christian body .
Some 1.6 billion people confess that “ there is no deity but Allah , and Muhammad is his messenger.
” ( Only Christianity has more adherents . )
So it ’ s certainly a “ great ” faith in terms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is correct that the world ’ s two largest faiths do have some surface commonalities .
These include monotheism , many of the same prophets , a similar eschatology , and Jesus .
But the Jesus of Islam is not remotely the same Person as in the New Testament and the Church .
The Muslim ` Isa rejected the Trinity , denied his own divinity and was not crucified .
Thus , He was not resurrected .
So disregard those Islamic billboards that proclaim , “ We ♥ Jesus.
” They are proclaiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiddle to Muhammad and the Mahdi .
And whose mere mortal life atones for no one — not even himself .
I ’ m a Christian but have studied Islam and Islamic history for almost 30 years .
Unlike some conservative Christians , I do think that the Islamic world has produced great civilizations — in terms of affecting history .
The Ottoman Empire certainly qualifies in this regard .
Those who dismiss that 500-year long polity as merely ISIS writ large are frankly ignorant .
I even think there is good to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a by-product of what Muhammad and later Muslims imbibed from Christianity .
But Islam is not simply Christianity Lite .
There are undeniably darker elements to it , starting with Muhammad himself .
Islam ’ s founder led armies in battle , ordered enemies beheaded , and had at least a dozen wives .
And one of them , ` Aisha , was a mere child .
The Islamic world enslaved millions , and its slave trade continued long after the Transatlantic one ended .
Jihad , decapitation and child marriage are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the Qur ’ an , Muhammad ’ s life and his Hadiths ( alleged sayings ) literally .
Some Muslim countries still allow virtual slavery .
Every place in the world that mandates the death penalty for homosexuality is a Muslim one .
So I agree , Joe : Schools should teach about these topics but not promulgate — as far too many high school and even college teachers and textbooks do — the propaganda that Islam is purely “ peaceful ” and that Muhammad was a bearded Buddha .
But your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of intersectional ignorance .
Timothy Furnish holds a Ph.D. in Islamic , World and African history .
He is a former U.S. Army Arabic linguist and , later , civilian consultant to U.S. Special Operations Command .
He ’ s the author of books on the Middle East and Middle-earth ; a history professor ; and sometime media opiner ( as , for example , on Fox News Channel ’ s War Stories : Fighting ISIS ) .

Yesterday Democrat Presidential candidate Joe Biden remotely addressed a gathering billed as the “Million Muslim Votes Summit.” Biden called for that 1.1% demographic to help end the horrors of President Donald Trump’s administration. These include an ongoing “assault on black and brown people,” “vile Muslim ban” and overall “Islamophobia.” The former Vice President to the most pro-Muslim President in American history went further. Mumbling toward Mecca, Joe said the following. “I wish we were taught more in our schools about the Islamic faith. …It’s one of the great confessional faiths and what people don’t realize is one of my avocations is theology. Don’t realize is that we all come from the same root here in terms of our fundamental basic beliefs.”
Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics about Race and Immigration
I shall address lay theologian Joe Biden’s pontificating on Islam in a bit. First, let’s examine his other claims — no doubt written by a 20-something staffer with an Ivy League degree and absolutely no knowledge of Islam. Or much else, beside political pandering. Black Americans must have missed that memo about Trump’s assault on them: as of last month, his support in the African-American community was up to 40%. Likewise for “brown” folks. Almost one-third of Hispanics say they support the President. (And that was before the Left decided to trash Goya products, which backfired on them.)
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Maybe Trump’s violence against the darker-skinned is reserved for immigrants and refugees? Well, the most recent data shows the US accepting 1.1 million refugees yearly. Where do most of them come from? The top countries are Mexico, India, China and the Philippines. Three of those four populations have skin hues acceptable to Biden and the DNC. But surely Herr Trump discriminates against refugees with higher melanin levels? Not so fast, my liberal friends. In 2019 Trump showed his hate for black folks so much that his administration let in more people from the Democratic Republic of Congo than anywhere else. This was followed by Myanmar, Ukraine, Eritrea and Afghanistan. Do the math, Democrats.
Yet More Lies about Muslim Statistics
Perhaps Joe’s handlers were trying to say that all Muslims are black or brown. Well, only 1 in 5 of US Muslims is black, and a large percentage of immigrant Muslims come from Iran. I demolished this common ignorant intersectional trope some years back. Yet they still keep trotting it out. I’m surprised Sycophantic Joe didn’t tell his Muslim listeners that the GOP was going to put them back in chains. Speaking of “vile,” that more accurately describes the Dhimmi Dems’ constant lie that Trump banned Muslims. In fact, his list of interdicted countries comprised only 12% of the Islamic world. And it was upheld by the Supreme Court — which of course is probably racist according by current DNC standards, too, since it does have some white judges.
St. Somnolence’s Assertions about Islam
Now, to the deeper allegations by that eminent lay doctor of the Roman Catholic Church, St. Somnolence. To be fair, his assertion that Islam is a “great confessional faith” and his implication that Christians and Muslims share “fundamental basic beliefs” is not wildly out of line with ecumaniacal post-Vatican II teachings in the world’s largest Christian body. Some 1.6 billion people confess that “there is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger.” (Only Christianity has more adherents.) So it’s certainly a “great” faith in terms of numbers.
And Joe’s teleprompter is correct that the world’s two largest faiths do have some surface commonalities. These include monotheism, many of the same prophets, a similar eschatology, and Jesus. But the Jesus of Islam is not remotely the same Person as in the New Testament and the Church. The Muslim `Isa rejected the Trinity, denied his own divinity and was not crucified. Thus, He was not resurrected. So disregard those Islamic billboards that proclaim, “We ♥ Jesus.” They are proclaiming love for a prophet who plays second fiddle to Muhammad and the Mahdi. And whose mere mortal life atones for no one — not even himself.
Islam: Good, Bad and Ugly
I’m a Christian but have studied Islam and Islamic history for almost 30 years. Unlike some conservative Christians, I do think that the Islamic world has produced great civilizations — in terms of affecting history. The Ottoman Empire certainly qualifies in this regard. Those who dismiss that 500-year long polity as merely ISIS writ large are frankly ignorant. I even think there is good to be found in Islam, albeit largely as a by-product of what Muhammad and later Muslims imbibed from Christianity.
But Islam is not simply Christianity Lite. There are undeniably darker elements to it, starting with Muhammad himself. Islam’s founder led armies in battle, ordered enemies beheaded, and had at least a dozen wives. And one of them, `Aisha, was a mere child. The Islamic world enslaved millions, and its slave trade continued long after the Transatlantic one ended. Jihad, decapitation and child marriage are still practiced in Islam by legions who take the Qur’an, Muhammad’s life and his Hadiths (alleged sayings) literally. Some Muslim countries still allow virtual slavery. Every place in the world that mandates the death penalty for homosexuality is a Muslim one.
Teach Islam — but Teach the Truth
So I agree, Joe: Schools should teach about these topics but not promulgate — as far too many high school and even college teachers and textbooks do — the propaganda that Islam is purely “peaceful” and that Muhammad was a bearded Buddha. But your party prefers keeping its people in chains of intersectional ignorance.
Timothy Furnish holds a Ph.D. in Islamic, World and African history. He is a former U.S. Army Arabic linguist and, later, civilian consultant to U.S. Special Operations Command. He’s the author of books on the Middle East and Middle-earth; a history professor; and sometime media opiner (as, for example, on Fox News Channel’s War Stories: Fighting ISIS).


thestream--2020-07-21--How Trump’s Law and Order Agenda is Making Black America Safer Again

In the wake of George Floyd ’ s death , America has been presented with a false narrative about blacks and law enforcement .
Elite progressive voices have pushed a radical idea : Law enforcement is the embodiment of bigotry in America and that “ defunding ” or even banning the police department is the solution that blacks want most .
But nothing could be further from the truth , as I explain in Chapter 4 , “ Stop or I ’ ll Shoot , ” of How Trump is Making Black America Great Again .
It turns out that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and order as the rest of the country , if not more so .
For instance , it was only last month that Rasmussen released a poll showing that blacks are the most fearful of their communities becoming less safe if police are not around .
A staggering 67 % of blacks say that the growing criticism of America ’ s police will lead to a shortage of police officers and reduce public safety in the community where they live .
That ’ s a 3 percentage points higher fear level than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that black communities suffer far more from under-policing violent crime than from over-policing .
In a city like Chicago , the astronomical homicide rate has nothing to do with peace-officer shootings and is instead due to intentional underfunding of law enforcement .
This strangulation of the Chicago Police Department results in elevated emergency response times and a mounting list of unsolved homicides .
This is a concern across the nation .
Blacks know this , and that ’ s one reason why , contrary to media perceptions , black men disproportionately serve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are only 6.2 % of the population , they make up more than 11 % of all law enforcement officers nationwide .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Here ’ s the truth : Time-tested traditional law enforcement solutions work , and that ’ s the reason that over the past three years , the Trump administration has pushed new grants for violent crime investigation , as well as higher funds to improve the skills of law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become safer in Memphis , Tennessee ; Tulsa , Oklahoma ; Indianapolis ; and even Detroit , thanks to these grants and due to greater coordination between local police and the feds .
But one city stands out : Chicago .
Liberal leaders like Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tend to express the issue of crime and policing in black neighborhoods in starkly Marxist terms ; i.e.
, that economic disparities and “ systemic racism ” are the primary cause of crime in black communities .
Notably , Lightfoot oversees one of the least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the negative business climate , more Americans have been killed in Chicago than in the combat zones of Afghanistan and Iraq combined since Sept. 11 , 2001 .
This is why Trump appealed directly to Lightfoot and Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker two weeks ago , offering to bring needed resources and federal support to stop Chicago ’ s crime wave .
Black residents in Chicago are still waiting for the mayor to accept his offer .
When the left strangles law enforcement , inner-city residents — black and white — are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face high crime and limited economic opportunity .
Salary and employment cuts at the police department also disproportionately negatively hit blacks as well .
Hey , woke mob : Blacks , like all other Americans , want more law enforcement , not less .
It ’ s Not Government ’ s Responsibility to Protect You From Violent Crime Also , blacks know something that most woke elites don ’ t .
Private citizens have no constitutional right to police protection .
When you can ’ t sue the government for malfeasance when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime , it is only logical that you ’ ll want greater funding for the police department and , notably , the ability to get a firearm to protect yourself .
A 1989 D.C .
Circuit Court decision involving the families of victims of brutal homicides has been replicated in courts all across the country .
The government is “ under no general duty to provide public services , such as police protection , to any individual citizen.
” In other words , if the police don ’ t show up , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding for the police makes this situation worse , not better .
The Right to Bear Arms Is Critically Important to African Americans On the latter front , blacks are seeking out lawful gun ownership in record numbers .
In fact , the National African American Gun Association , an organization that barely had four chapters in 2016 , has exploded its membership to over 110 chapters all across the country today .
The Second Amendment provides a vital way for blacks and whites to maintain autonomy and freedom .
And this right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — is increasingly the first ( and sometimes only ) line of defense for black families against the epidemic of violence in their own neighborhoods committed overwhelming by people who look like them .
How Trump Is Making Black America Great Again Black Americans want what all other citizens want — safer communities and more police .
Trump ’ s defense of the Second Amendment and support for law enforcement rhetorically and financially have already benefited black America — both those who serve in blue and those whose neighborhoods have improved .
Gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skyrocketed as more black Americans recognize the importance of supplementing law enforcement , not enabling crime .
Working collaboratively , inner-city communities can become safe places to raise families and thereby bring greater prosperity to the black community and to America overall .

In the wake of George Floyd’s death, America has been presented with a false narrative about blacks and law enforcement.
Elite progressive voices have pushed a radical idea: Law enforcement is the embodiment of bigotry in America and that “defunding” or even banning the police department is the solution that blacks want most.
But nothing could be further from the truth, as I explain in Chapter 4, “Stop or I’ll Shoot,” of How Trump is Making Black America Great Again.
It turns out that black Americans are as interested in law and order as the rest of the country, if not more so.
Blacks, Law Enforcement, and President Donald Trump
For instance, it was only last month that Rasmussen released a poll showing that blacks are the most fearful of their communities becoming less safe if police are not around.
A staggering 67% of blacks say that the growing criticism of America’s police will lead to a shortage of police officers and reduce public safety in the community where they live. That’s a 3 percentage points higher fear level than the response of Americans overall.
The fact is that black communities suffer far more from under-policing violent crime than from over-policing.
In a city like Chicago, the astronomical homicide rate has nothing to do with peace-officer shootings and is instead due to intentional underfunding of law enforcement. This strangulation of the Chicago Police Department results in elevated emergency response times and a mounting list of unsolved homicides. This is a concern across the nation.
Blacks know this, and that’s one reason why, contrary to media perceptions, black men disproportionately serve in law enforcement. While black men are only 6.2% of the population, they make up more than 11% of all law enforcement officers nationwide.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Here’s the truth: Time-tested traditional law enforcement solutions work, and that’s the reason that over the past three years, the Trump administration has pushed new grants for violent crime investigation, as well as higher funds to improve the skills of law enforcement personnel.
Consequently, neighborhoods have become safer in Memphis, Tennessee; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Indianapolis; and even Detroit, thanks to these grants and due to greater coordination between local police and the feds. But one city stands out: Chicago.
Liberal leaders like Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tend to express the issue of crime and policing in black neighborhoods in starkly Marxist terms; i.e., that economic disparities and “systemic racism” are the primary cause of crime in black communities.
Notably, Lightfoot oversees one of the least business-friendly cities in the country.
Worse than the negative business climate, more Americans have been killed in Chicago than in the combat zones of Afghanistan and Iraq combined since Sept. 11, 2001.
This is why Trump appealed directly to Lightfoot and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker two weeks ago, offering to bring needed resources and federal support to stop Chicago’s crime wave.
Black residents in Chicago are still waiting for the mayor to accept his offer.
When the left strangles law enforcement, inner-city residents — black and white — are hit with a double whammy. They face high crime and limited economic opportunity. Salary and employment cuts at the police department also disproportionately negatively hit blacks as well.
Hey, woke mob: Blacks, like all other Americans, want more law enforcement, not less.
It’s Not Government’s Responsibility to Protect You From Violent Crime
Also, blacks know something that most woke elites don’t. Private citizens have no constitutional right to police protection.
When you can’t sue the government for malfeasance when it fails to protect you from a violent crime, it is only logical that you’ll want greater funding for the police department and, notably, the ability to get a firearm to protect yourself.
A 1989 D.C. Circuit Court decision involving the families of victims of brutal homicides has been replicated in courts all across the country. The government is “under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any individual citizen.”
In other words, if the police don’t show up, you’re on your own. Less funding for the police makes this situation worse, not better.
The Right to Bear Arms Is Critically Important to African Americans
On the latter front, blacks are seeking out lawful gun ownership in record numbers. In fact, the National African American Gun Association, an organization that barely had four chapters in 2016, has exploded its membership to over 110 chapters all across the country today.
The Second Amendment provides a vital way for blacks and whites to maintain autonomy and freedom. And this right — frequently praised and supported by Trump — is increasingly the first (and sometimes only) line of defense for black families against the epidemic of violence in their own neighborhoods committed overwhelming by people who look like them.
How Trump Is Making Black America Great Again
Black Americans want what all other citizens want — safer communities and more police. Trump’s defense of the Second Amendment and support for law enforcement rhetorically and financially have already benefited black America — both those who serve in blue and those whose neighborhoods have improved.
Gun ownership over the past three years has skyrocketed as more black Americans recognize the importance of supplementing law enforcement, not enabling crime.
Working collaboratively, inner-city communities can become safe places to raise families and thereby bring greater prosperity to the black community and to America overall.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-07-21--What Paganism Gets Right, and Why It’s Still Nowhere Near Close Enough

The BBC , in partnership with the Open University , has released a video praising pagan animism .
The Druids and “ indigenous people ” got it ; we don ’ t .
Christianity , colonialism , and Enlightenment “ reason ” have made it hard for most of us to “ grasp ” the ancient “ wisdom , ” says Dr. Eleni Dimou , author of this video .
This touches a chord , I ’ m sure .
A 2017 Pew survey shows that more than 40 percent of Americans believe “ spiritual energy can be located in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defining animism .
It ’ s about connectedness , this video tells us .
We ’ re one with the earth , it says , but we ’ ve lost that connection .
Maybe .
In a way .
We ’ ve lost something , that ’ s for sure .
But the video misdiagnoses it .
Author Daniel Pinchbeck does better explaining New Age beliefs in a 2012 NY Times Magazine article , where he says , “ There ’ s a growing realization that materialism and the rational , empirical worldview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expiration date.
” This “ materialism ” isn ’ t the drive to acquire stuff .
It ’ s philosophical materialism , the view that reality consists of nothing but matter and energy , with natural law controlling all .
There ’ s no spiritual reality , according to this view , or , to borrow from a Blackmore ’ s Night lyric , we live in a “ world of stone.
” Except it ’ s impossible to be human and hold to that cold , empty belief .
We know better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how Blackmore ’ s Night treats it in “ World of Stone ” : On our own In a World of Stone We are not alone I had once believed in angels They were everywhere I looked A gentle hand guiding me To give more than I took But I have died a thousand times Watching all these angels fall Their lonely eyes haunt me still We will avenge them all On our own In a World of Stone We are not alone ” Materialism has struck down the angels and they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lyric has nothing to do with that ) , but as snowflakes fall and die in a lake .
They ’ re gone .
Western philosophical materialism has driven out the spiritual , and for this we have “ died a thousand times.
” Pagans Wanting More , But Settling for Too Little I ’ m convinced this is where the roots of Western New Age religion lie .
With the angels ’ “ lonely eyes ” haunting us , many choose to avenge their deaths by slaying materialism and even rationality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wisdom ” instead .
And honestly , I find it hard to condemn the pagans for wanting something more .
It ’ s just that they ’ re still settling for so much less than they should be .
Christianity fills all the missing spaces : spirituality , rationality , and connectedness .
There really is a God .
There really is a spiritual world .
And this God — the Logos ( the Word , John 1:1 ) — is also the author of rationality .
There ’ s an interesting ambiguity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to God can be either a “ spiritual ” or as a “ reasonable ” act of worship .
Both meanings exist in the original Greek word , and both apply .
We ’ re connected to all of creation , too , though not in the pagans ’ dehumanizing sense that “ all is one , ” or the insanely impossible idea that rivers and mountains should have equal rights under the law .
That ’ s just a game with words , meaning nothing except that lawyers and interest groups “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still people , obviously — get special rights under the law .
The biblical idea instead is that humans really are different from volcanoes and oceans and plants and animals — as if we needed a Bible to tell us something so obvious — but that we ’ re still connected to creation in a relationship the English language once called “ husbandry ” : responsibility and caretaking , mixed with love and appreciation .
And all creation , ourselves included , joins in glorifying the God who created us all .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ than Western hyper-rational materialism offers .
The move from materialism to paganism is , in part , a move in the right direction , for it ’ s better to look for some spiritual reality than to settle for none at all .
It ’ s better , that is , except it goes only partway to true spiritual reality , and encourages its followers to stay stuck there .
Paganism is counterfeit spirituality , and all the more dangerous for sharing slightly in the real thing .
My encouragement to pagans of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Druids to Pachamama-followers to earth-worshippers , is to keep on looking .
Yes , there ’ s much more to reality than materialism offers , but there ’ s much more than paganism offers , too .
Only Christianity connects us rightly with our true roots .
It isn ’ t just matter and energy , but it isn ’ t “ the earth , ” either .
It ’ s the God of the Bible , revealed above all in Jesus Christ .
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or editor of six books , including the forthcoming Too Good To Be False : How Jesus ’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality .

The BBC, in partnership with the Open University, has released a video praising pagan animism. The Druids and “indigenous people” got it; we don’t. Christianity, colonialism, and Enlightenment “reason” have made it hard for most of us to “grasp” the ancient “wisdom,” says Dr. Eleni Dimou, author of this video.
This touches a chord, I’m sure. A 2017 Pew survey shows that more than 40 percent of Americans believe “spiritual energy can be located in physical things” — one way of defining animism.
It’s about connectedness, this video tells us. We’re one with the earth, it says, but we’ve lost that connection. Maybe. In a way. We’ve lost something, that’s for sure. But the video misdiagnoses it. Author Daniel Pinchbeck does better explaining New Age beliefs in a 2012 NY Times Magazine article, where he says, “There’s a growing realization that materialism and the rational, empirical worldview that comes with it has reached its expiration date.”
Rebelling Against Materialism
This “materialism” isn’t the drive to acquire stuff. It’s philosophical materialism, the view that reality consists of nothing but matter and energy, with natural law controlling all. There’s no spiritual reality, according to this view, or, to borrow from a Blackmore’s Night lyric, we live in a “world of stone.”
Except it’s impossible to be human and hold to that cold, empty belief. We know better. We rebel against it. See how Blackmore’s Night treats it in “World of Stone”:
On our own
In a World of Stone
We are not alone I had once believed in angels
They were everywhere I looked
A gentle hand guiding me
To give more than I took But I have died a thousand times
Watching all these angels fall
Their lonely eyes haunt me still
We will avenge them all On our own
In a World of Stone
We are not alone”
Materialism has struck down the angels and they have fallen, not as Lucifer fell (the lyric has nothing to do with that), but as snowflakes fall and die in a lake. They’re gone. Western philosophical materialism has driven out the spiritual, and for this we have “died a thousand times.”
Pagans Wanting More, But Settling for Too Little
I’m convinced this is where the roots of Western New Age religion lie. With the angels’ “lonely eyes” haunting us, many choose to avenge their deaths by slaying materialism and even rationality, relying on Pachamama and Druid “wisdom” instead.
And honestly, I find it hard to condemn the pagans for wanting something more. It’s just that they’re still settling for so much less than they should be.
Christianity fills all the missing spaces: spirituality, rationality, and connectedness. There really is a God. There really is a spiritual world. And this God — the Logos (the Word, John 1:1) — is also the author of rationality. There’s an interesting ambiguity in Romans 12:1: A life given to God can be either a “spiritual” or as a “reasonable” act of worship. Both meanings exist in the original Greek word, and both apply.
We’re connected to all of creation, too, though not in the pagans’ dehumanizing sense that “all is one,” or the insanely impossible idea that rivers and mountains should have equal rights under the law. That’s just a game with words, meaning nothing except that lawyers and interest groups “representing” rivers and mountains — who are still people, obviously — get special rights under the law.
The biblical idea instead is that humans really are different from volcanoes and oceans and plants and animals — as if we needed a Bible to tell us something so obvious — but that we’re still connected to creation in a relationship the English language once called “husbandry”: responsibility and caretaking, mixed with love and appreciation. And all creation, ourselves included, joins in glorifying the God who created us all.
Dangerous Counterfeit Spirituality
I appreciate pagans’ desire for more than Western hyper-rational materialism offers. The move from materialism to paganism is, in part, a move in the right direction, for it’s better to look for some spiritual reality than to settle for none at all. It’s better, that is, except it goes only partway to true spiritual reality, and encourages its followers to stay stuck there. Paganism is counterfeit spirituality, and all the more dangerous for sharing slightly in the real thing.
My encouragement to pagans of all stripes, then, from modern-day Druids to Pachamama-followers to earth-worshippers, is to keep on looking. Yes, there’s much more to reality than materialism offers, but there’s much more than paganism offers, too. Only Christianity connects us rightly with our true roots. It isn’t just matter and energy, but it isn’t “the earth,” either. It’s the God of the Bible, revealed above all in Jesus Christ.
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books, including the forthcoming Too Good To Be False: How Jesus’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality.


thestream--2020-07-21--The Dehumanization of Blacks

The Dehumanization of Blacks

If you take black and white left-wing rhetoric seriously , blacks are not human beings like members of other races .
They are first and foremost black ; they are human beings defined before anything else by their color — not their humanity , their personality , their character , their mind or their heart .
So much so that , according to white and black leftists , if you dissent from this racist view , you are now labelled racist .
The idiocy and inhumanity ( literally ) of this , the “ progressive ” view of black people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blacks see themselves first as black ?
When a black man , let ’ s call him James , looks into the mirror , does he first see a black person , or does he see James ?
When a white woman , let ’ s call her Karen ( I ’ m playing with the left here ) , looks into the mirror , does she first see a white person , or does she see Karen ?
Does any human being first see his or her color ?
Of course not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that the most important thing about a black individual is that he or she is black .
And if we do not honor that fact — if we aim to be “ colorblind ” — then we are labelled racist .
This dehumanizing nonsense goes for racial truth these days .
Thus , for example , we who are not black are supposed to acknowledge that we can not possibly see the world the way a black person sees the world ; we can not possibly understand what it is like to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dogma the left imposes on society through the media , through cancel culture ( say that you are colorblind and you might lose your job and your reputation ) , and through racial sensitivity training seminars at colleges and in the workplace .
But all this does is promulgate the view that blacks are inherently different from all other people .
As a result , the only way the left ’ s view of blacks differs from that of white supremacists is that the latter believes blacks are inherently inferior , whereas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But both the left and the white supremacists agree that race contains immutable characteristics .
Aside from its inherent racism , the progressive view of blacks is pablum .
No one can see the world through another ’ s eyes .
No one can fully understand what it is like to be any other human being .
Do all whites understand how other whites see the world ?
One of the ongoing jokes in the public dialogues I have with Adam Carolla around the country is how much we think alike despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be more different .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Other than being white and male , we have essentially nothing in common .
He is an atheist ; I am a religious believer .
He is Italian ; I ’ m a Jew .
He grew up poor and on food stamps in Los Angeles ; I grew up in a solid middle-class home in Brooklyn .
He had little formal education and never went to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house of intellectuals and went to an Ivy League graduate school .
Even though I can not “ relate ” to his experience or he to mine , we are nevertheless very close because , in addition to that intangible thing that creates friendships , we have the same values .
On the other hand , I am a Jew , and George Soros is a Jew .
Other than the same ethnic ancestry , we have absolutely nothing in common .
I have far more in common with the black conservative intellectual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or ethnicity bonds people is both stupid and racist .
The prominent black conservative John McWhorter , a Columbia professor , just wrote a review of White Fragility , the book the left most frequently recommends to explain America ’ s alleged systemic racism .
The title ?
“ The Dehumanizing Condescension of White Fragility.
” “ One of America ’ s favorite advice books of the moment is actually a racist tract.
” “ The book diminishes Black people in the name of dignifying us.
” “ White Fragility is the prayer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a cult.
” “ A corollary question is why Black people need to be treated the way DiAngelo assumes we do .
The very assumption is deeply condescending to all proud Black people.
” “ Few books about race have more openly infantilized Black people than this supposedly authoritative tome .
Or simply dehumanized us.
” “ Her answer to white fragility , in other words , entails an elaborate and pitilessly dehumanizing condescension toward Black people .
The sad truth is that anyone falling under the sway of this blinkered , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been taught , by a well-intentioned but tragically misguided pastor , how to be racist in a whole new way.
” McWhorter understands that to see blacks the way the white and black left want people to see them is to dehumanize blacks .
If blacks are black before they are human — if no nonblacks can relate to blacks , disagree with blacks or want to see past color to the person ’ s heart — black-nonblack relations will have been set back a half-century .
Incredibly , beginning this coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there will be mandatory reading of racist tracts like White Fragility to dehumanize blacks .
That any black would see this as progress is worthy of tears .
Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist .
His latest book , published by Regnery in May 2019 , is The Rational Bible , a commentary on the book of Genesis .
His film , “ No Safe Spaces , ” came to theaters in the fall of 2019 .
He is the founder of Prager University and may be contacted @ @ @

If you take black and white left-wing rhetoric seriously, blacks are not human beings like members of other races. They are first and foremost black; they are human beings defined before anything else by their color — not their humanity, their personality, their character, their mind or their heart. So much so that, according to white and black leftists, if you dissent from this racist view, you are now labelled racist.
The idiocy and inhumanity (literally) of this, the “progressive” view of black people, is easily demonstrated. Do any blacks see themselves first as black? When a black man, let’s call him James, looks into the mirror, does he first see a black person, or does he see James? When a white woman, let’s call her Karen (I’m playing with the left here), looks into the mirror, does she first see a white person, or does she see Karen? Does any human being first see his or her color?
Of course not. Yet, we are supposed to believe that the most important thing about a black individual is that he or she is black. And if we do not honor that fact — if we aim to be “colorblind” — then we are labelled racist.
Dehumanizing Blacks
This dehumanizing nonsense goes for racial truth these days. Thus, for example, we who are not black are supposed to acknowledge that we cannot possibly see the world the way a black person sees the world; we cannot possibly understand what it is like to be black. This is part of the dogma the left imposes on society through the media, through cancel culture (say that you are colorblind and you might lose your job and your reputation), and through racial sensitivity training seminars at colleges and in the workplace.
But all this does is promulgate the view that blacks are inherently different from all other people. As a result, the only way the left’s view of blacks differs from that of white supremacists is that the latter believes blacks are inherently inferior, whereas the left believes blacks are inherently different. But both the left and the white supremacists agree that race contains immutable characteristics.
Aside from its inherent racism, the progressive view of blacks is pablum. No one can see the world through another’s eyes. No one can fully understand what it is like to be any other human being. Do all whites understand how other whites see the world? One of the ongoing jokes in the public dialogues I have with Adam Carolla around the country is how much we think alike despite the fact that our backgrounds could hardly be more different.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Other than being white and male, we have essentially nothing in common. He is an atheist; I am a religious believer. He is Italian; I’m a Jew. He grew up poor and on food stamps in Los Angeles; I grew up in a solid middle-class home in Brooklyn. He had little formal education and never went to college; I grew up in a house of intellectuals and went to an Ivy League graduate school. Even though I cannot “relate” to his experience or he to mine, we are nevertheless very close because, in addition to that intangible thing that creates friendships, we have the same values.
On the other hand, I am a Jew, and George Soros is a Jew. Other than the same ethnic ancestry, we have absolutely nothing in common. I have far more in common with the black conservative intellectual Larry Elder. The notion that race or ethnicity bonds people is both stupid and racist.
‘White Fragility’
The prominent black conservative John McWhorter, a Columbia professor, just wrote a review of White Fragility, the book the left most frequently recommends to explain America’s alleged systemic racism. The title? “The Dehumanizing Condescension of White Fragility.”
McWhorter writes:
“One of America’s favorite advice books of the moment is actually a racist tract.”
“The book diminishes Black people in the name of dignifying us.”
(I suspect it was The Atlantic’s choice to capitalize “black”; the syndicators of my own column once changed “black” to “Black” because they follow the Associated Press’ rules for English.)
“White Fragility is the prayer book for what can only be described as a cult.”
“A corollary question is why Black people need to be treated the way DiAngelo assumes we do. The very assumption is deeply condescending to all proud Black people.”
“Few books about race have more openly infantilized Black people than this supposedly authoritative tome. Or simply dehumanized us.”
“Her answer to white fragility, in other words, entails an elaborate and pitilessly dehumanizing condescension toward Black people. The sad truth is that anyone falling under the sway of this blinkered, self-satisfied, punitive stunt of a primer has been taught, by a well-intentioned but tragically misguided pastor, how to be racist in a whole new way.”
Setting Black-Nonblack Relations Back
McWhorter understands that to see blacks the way the white and black left want people to see them is to dehumanize blacks. If blacks are black before they are human — if no nonblacks can relate to blacks, disagree with blacks or want to see past color to the person’s heart — black-nonblack relations will have been set back a half-century.
Incredibly, beginning this coming year, thanks to progressive teachers, there will be mandatory reading of racist tracts like White Fragility to dehumanize blacks. That any black would see this as progress is worthy of tears.
Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist. His latest book, published by Regnery in May 2019, is The Rational Bible, a commentary on the book of Genesis. His film, “No Safe Spaces,” came to theaters in the fall of 2019. He is the founder of Prager University and may be contacted at dennisprager.com.
COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM


thestream--2020-07-21--Democrats Who Pushed Kremlin-Influenced Dossier Want FBI Briefing on 2020 Foreign Disinformation Eff

Democrats Who Pushed Kremlin-Influenced Dossier Want FBI Briefing on 2020 Foreign Disinformation Efforts

Congressional Democrats have requested an FBI briefing for all members of Congress regarding foreign efforts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election by spreading disinformation in order to influence lawmakers , according to a letter released Monday .
“ We are gravely concerned , in particular , that Congress appears to be the target of a concerted foreign interference campaign , which seeks to launder and amplify disinformation in order to influence congressional activity , public debate , and the presidential election in November , ” the Democrats wrote to Wray last Monday .
Democrats Nancy Pelosi , Adam Schiff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the authors of the letter , did not specify which foreign governments are allegedly involved in the disinformation efforts , or which lawmakers are being targeted in the scheme .
Some Democratic lawmakers have asserted that the Russian government is behind a disinformation campaign regarding former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter ’ s activities in Ukraine .
Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson , the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee , is leading an investigation into Hunter Biden ’ s work with Burisma , the Ukrainian energy company .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wyden sent a letter to Johnson last Thursday requesting a briefing about the Burisma-Biden probe , saying they wanted to understand the “ counterintelligence implications of foreign election interference and your ongoing investigative work.
” Schiff , the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee , may himself have spread Kremlin disinformation related to President Donald Trump and members of his campaign .
Schiff has repeatedly touted the infamous Steele dossier , which alleged that Trump campaign advisers conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election .
In a March 20 , 2017 hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s allegations into the public record .
He has also cited the document in interviews to call for additional investigation into the Trump campaign .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
But the dossier , written by former British spy Christopher Steele , may itself contain Russian disinformation .
A Justice Department inspector general ’ s report said that the FBI had evidence that Russian intelligence operatives may have fed disinformation to Steele through his network @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Steele ’ s information in its investigation into the Trump campaign .
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 .

Congressional Democrats have requested an FBI briefing for all members of Congress regarding foreign efforts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election by spreading disinformation in order to influence lawmakers, according to a letter released Monday.
“We are gravely concerned, in particular, that Congress appears to be the target of a concerted foreign interference campaign, which seeks to launder and amplify disinformation in order to influence congressional activity, public debate, and the presidential election in November,” the Democrats wrote to Wray last Monday.
Democrats Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Mark Warner and Chuck Schumer, the authors of the letter, did not specify which foreign governments are allegedly involved in the disinformation efforts, or which lawmakers are being targeted in the scheme.
Some Democratic lawmakers have asserted that the Russian government is behind a disinformation campaign regarding former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter’s activities in Ukraine.
Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, is leading an investigation into Hunter Biden’s work with Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company.
Democratic Sens. Gary Peters and Ron Wyden sent a letter to Johnson last Thursday requesting a briefing about the Burisma-Biden probe, saying they wanted to understand the “counterintelligence implications of foreign election interference and your ongoing investigative work.”
Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, may himself have spread Kremlin disinformation related to President Donald Trump and members of his campaign.
We're gravely concerned Congress appears to be the target of a foreign interference campaign that seeks to launder & amplify disinformation. We're urging the FBI to provide all Members a defensive counterintelligence briefing before August. Americans decide American elections. pic.twitter.com/UuNT9AZ093 — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) July 20, 2020
Schiff has repeatedly touted the infamous Steele dossier, which alleged that Trump campaign advisers conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election.
In a March 20, 2017 hearing, Schiff read several of the dossier’s allegations into the public record. He has also cited the document in interviews to call for additional investigation into the Trump campaign.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
But the dossier, written by former British spy Christopher Steele, may itself contain Russian disinformation.
A Justice Department inspector general’s report said that the FBI had evidence that Russian intelligence operatives may have fed disinformation to Steele through his network of sources.
The FBI relied heavily on Steele’s information in its investigation into the Trump campaign.
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].