thestream--2020-10-27--‘Coyote’ Mockeries Reveal What the Left Really Thinks About Us: Not Just Wrong, But Less Than Human

Democrats all over the country fell straight into hootin ’ and hollerin ’ over Donald Trump ’ s “ idiocy ” for thinking coyotes drag kids across the Mexico-U.S. border .
The rest of us know it was their own ignorance they were putting on display .
There ’ s more to it than that , though .
They think Trump has his humans and his animals mixed up , but in a way , they ’ re making that mistake themselves : They view him as something less than human .
It ’ s one thing to think your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see him as not quite human .
The difference should concern us all .
I recognize the dehumanizing nature of their views , because I ’ ve seen it before in atheists ’ denunciations of Christianity .
( It ’ s no coincidence that you see it in both leftists and atheists . )
Let me illustrate : • Christians think some Old Testament laws still apply , they say , yet we ’ ll eat pork and shellfish .
Atheists love it — it ’ s a favorite “ gotcha ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it .
For them it ’ s a fatal , answerable disproof of Christian morality .
With it comes the unspoken mockery , “ Hah !
You ’ ve never even thought of that , have you ?
” • Another atheist favorite : “ Faith is believing what you know isn ’ t true , ” or “ Faith is believing without evidence.
” These examples and many others have two things in common with Trump ’ s coyote complainers .
First , they ’ re easy to answer .
Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re embarrassingly wrong .
The New Testament tells us explicitly that God changed the dietary laws after Christ .
Faith has never meant “ belief without evidence ; ” not anywhere , or at least not until a couple of 19th century humorists , Mark Twain and Ambrose Bierce , made that up .
And I ’ m sure you already know the easy answer to the coyote question .
Second , the people who say these things are implicitly calling us stupid .
Really stupid ; stupid to a degree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in , “ Man , we knew Donald Trump had problems , but can you believe he really thinks coyotes are dragging kids across the border ?
” Or , “ Everyone knows that in order to be a Christian you have to totally check your brains at the door.
” For sixteen years I ’ ve run a blog called Thinking Christian .
I can ’ t tell you how many skeptics have chortled , “ Thinking Christian ?
There ’ s an oxymoron for you !
” They all think they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say it .
How Stupid ?
Stupid Beyond Any Human Capacity for Stupid Let ’ s have a reality check here , though .
No halfway-functioning human being believes four-legged coyotes smuggle babies across borders .
The charge against Christian faith , likewise , is a charge of utter , complete mindless .
And when atheists use the shellfish challenge , their whole case depends on the idea that no Christian in 2,000 years — not even one !
— has ever even noticed there ’ s a problem there , and worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re not just calling us wrong .
To be that wrong takes more than stupidity .
It requires stupidity beyond any believably human capacity to be stupid .
I mean that quite seriously .
It would take quite an inhuman level of stupid for Christians have missed such obvious problems for so many centuries .
It would take an equally inhuman level of ignorance for Trump to believe furry wild animals are responsible for our border problem .
Yet our opponents — some of them — act as if we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It says much more about them than it does about us .
Not Realizing They ’ re Wrong Means They See Us as Less Than Human First , they ’ re obviously wrong .
Not wrong about coyotes or faith or shellfish , but wrong about us .
Take the shellfish thing again .
It should only take half a second ’ s reflection to realize , “ It ’ s been centuries .
Someone on their side must have thought about this by now.
” Another half-second should produce the thought , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer.
” And then , “ Maybe I won ’ t agree with their answer , but it ’ s at least possible that if they ’ re not embarrassed by this , they ’ ve got some reason for it.
” All in less than two seconds .
Religious skeptics like these treat their challenges as if no Christian has ever thought of them before , never worried about them , never wrestled with them over the course of thousands of years .
To believe that of Christians is to believe the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every Christian throughout history has suffered ignorance and stupidity at a level to which no long-surviving group of humans could possibly descend .
Again , the Trump mocker supposes that he could actually think that dog-like creatures smuggle children over the border .
This supposes a level of stupidity no fully functioning human individual could descend to .
These skeptics think we believe the impossible , but that reflects on them instead .
They must believe something impossible themselves in order to reach that conclusion .
It does not speak well for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a second and worse conclusion .
How can they be so wrong about us , and not realize it ?
How can they treat us as stupid to degrees no human could possibly descend to ?
I see a clear implication here : Apparently they view us ( at least implicitly ) as actually being something less than human .
Two conclusions appear here , then .
They are willing to believe impossible things about us , and they view us as slightly less than human .
It makes for an ominous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impossibly stupid , they need not listen to us ; in fact , no one should listen to us .
And if we ’ re not quite human , they don ’ t have to treat us quite as human .
This is not every skeptic , not every leftist , and certainly not every Democrat .
It ’ s enough of them , though , that I ’ ll bet it sounds familiar to a lot of conservatives , and to a lot of Christians , too .
It ’ s enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

Democrats all over the country fell straight into hootin’ and hollerin’ over Donald Trump’s “idiocy” for thinking coyotes drag kids across the Mexico-U.S. border. The rest of us know it was their own ignorance they were putting on display. There’s more to it than that, though. They think Trump has his humans and his animals mixed up, but in a way, they’re making that mistake themselves: They view him as something less than human. It’s one thing to think your opponent is wrong, and quite another to see him as not quite human. The difference should concern us all.
I recognize the dehumanizing nature of their views, because I’ve seen it before in atheists’ denunciations of Christianity. (It’s no coincidence that you see it in both leftists and atheists.) Let me illustrate:
Christians think some Old Testament laws still apply, they say, yet we’ll eat pork and shellfish. Atheists love it — it’s a favorite “gotcha” for them. They fill memes full of it. For them it’s a fatal, unanswerable disproof of Christian morality. With it comes the unspoken mockery, “Hah! You’ve never even thought of that, have you?”
Another atheist favorite: “Faith is believing what you know isn’t true,” or “Faith is believing without evidence.”
They’re Wrong, But They’re Convinced We’re Stupid
These examples and many others have two things in common with Trump’s coyote complainers. First, they’re easy to answer. Our opponents aren’t just wrong, they’re embarrassingly wrong. The New Testament tells us explicitly that God changed the dietary laws after Christ. Faith has never meant “belief without evidence;” not anywhere, or at least not until a couple of 19th century humorists, Mark Twain and Ambrose Bierce, made that up. And I’m sure you already know the easy answer to the coyote question.
Second, the people who say these things are implicitly calling us stupid. Really stupid; stupid to a degree that beggars description. Stupid, as in, “Man, we knew Donald Trump had problems, but can you believe he really thinks coyotes are dragging kids across the border?” Or, “Everyone knows that in order to be a Christian you have to totally check your brains at the door.” For sixteen years I’ve run a blog called Thinking Christian. I can’t tell you how many skeptics have chortled, “Thinking Christian? There’s an oxymoron for you!” They all think they’re being terribly original when they say it.
How Stupid? Stupid Beyond Any Human Capacity for Stupid
Let’s have a reality check here, though. No halfway-functioning human being believes four-legged coyotes smuggle babies across borders. The charge against Christian faith, likewise, is a charge of utter, complete mindless. And when atheists use the shellfish challenge, their whole case depends on the idea that no Christian in 2,000 years — not even one! — has ever even noticed there’s a problem there, and worked on trying to solve it.
So they’re not just calling us wrong. To be that wrong takes more than stupidity. It requires stupidity beyond any believably human capacity to be stupid.
It makes for an ominous combination. If we’re that impossibly stupid, they need not listen to us; in fact, no one should listen to us. And if we’re not quite human, they don’t have to treat us quite as human.
I mean that quite seriously. It would take quite an inhuman level of stupid for Christians have missed such obvious problems for so many centuries. It would take an equally inhuman level of ignorance for Trump to believe furry wild animals are responsible for our border problem.
Yet our opponents — some of them — act as if we can descend to that level of stupidity. It says much more about them than it does about us.
Not Realizing They’re Wrong Means They See Us as Less Than Human
First, they’re obviously wrong. Not wrong about coyotes or faith or shellfish, but wrong about us. Take the shellfish thing again. It should only take half a second’s reflection to realize, “It’s been centuries. Someone on their side must have thought about this by now.” Another half-second should produce the thought, “Maybe they’ve got an answer.” And then, “Maybe I won’t agree with their answer, but it’s at least possible that if they’re not embarrassed by this, they’ve got some reason for it.” All in less than two seconds.
Religious skeptics like these treat their challenges as if no Christian has ever thought of them before, never worried about them, never wrestled with them over the course of thousands of years. To believe that of Christians is to believe the impossible. It is to suppose that every Christian throughout history has suffered ignorance and stupidity at a level to which no long-surviving group of humans could possibly descend.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Again, the Trump mocker supposes that he could actually think that dog-like creatures smuggle children over the border. This supposes a level of stupidity no fully functioning human individual could descend to. These skeptics think we believe the impossible, but that reflects on them instead. They must believe something impossible themselves in order to reach that conclusion. It does not speak well for their reasoning and awareness.
But that leads to a second and worse conclusion. How can they be so wrong about us, and not realize it? How can they treat us as stupid to degrees no human could possibly descend to? I see a clear implication here: Apparently they view us (at least implicitly) as actually being something less than human.
An Ominously Familiar Combination
Two conclusions appear here, then. They are willing to believe impossible things about us, and they view us as slightly less than human. It makes for an ominous combination. If we’re that impossibly stupid, they need not listen to us; in fact, no one should listen to us. And if we’re not quite human, they don’t have to treat us quite as human.
This is not every skeptic, not every leftist, and certainly not every Democrat. It’s enough of them, though, that I’ll bet it sounds familiar to a lot of conservatives, and to a lot of Christians, too. It’s enough to be cause for concern.
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--2020-10-27--Foundations: Why Should Christians Support Private Property?

An old expression says that God made man “ a little lower than the angels.
” Well , when it comes to our social natures , He picked a different spot .
Between our impulse for freedom and our need for one another , you might say that God situated us somewhere on the spectrum between social insects and reptiles .
That is , between turtles that lay their eggs and abandon them , and termites or bees that barely lead any individual existence , but only exist for the hive .
In other words , somewhere between total isolation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And the problem with modern , godless ideologies ( and the churches that catch their infections ) is that they get our place wrong .
They don ’ t see man as he is , and draw up their theories based on that .
Instead they start with their theories and shoehorn man ’ s whole nature into partial , ill-fitting boxes .
The error shows up on two extremes : radical libertarianism and socialism .
To return to our metaphor , radical libertarians see each person as a unit — like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself , chasing its food .
Apart from occasional meet-ups to briefly mate , each pursues his way alone , from the moment he crawls from the egg his mother dropped off on her way to work .
Libertarian writer Ayn Rand penned a whole series of best-selling novels without any families or children .
Economist Murray Rothbard couldn ’ t find any reason why it was wrong for parents to starve their children to death — they didn ’ t owe them a living !
Both thinkers supported abortion , of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humans but for lizards , which don ’ t sin when they eat their young .
The same radical individualism in our society has led to easy divorce laws , shallow hookups , and the interests of children put last — the results of the Sexual Revolution and its backlash , feminism .
The grimmest artifact of this worldview ?
You can find it in the vast , frozen technological limbo of America ’ s fertility clinics : hundreds of thousands of tiny human beings , conceived by cold scientific means to suit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” of parents , then left in the deep freeze forever .
Socialism : You Are a Termite .
Serve the Queen .
Socialists of every variety , on the other hand , would make of us ants or termites .
Such insects don ’ t breed , or hunt , or seek shelter on their own .
Instead each is almost an unthinking cell of the super-organism , the Hive .
Marx sought to wipe out all private property , initiative , freedom or independence .
Those were relics of “ bourgeois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind-clouding , addictive “ opiate.
” Societies built on his ideas ( or those of racial collectivists such as Hitler ) suppressed all artistic freedom , persecuted dissenters , and resulted in general poverty , even starvation .
Children may be bred , in designated numbers , but only insofar as the government needs them .
Think of the 400 million babies killed by forced abortion in Communist China .
And of the concentration camps today filled with religious dissenters .
Then think of North Korea , Venezuela and Cuba .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ species in mind .
It ’ s for bees , ants and termites .
We need a better way .
To find it , we need look no further than the Bible , our best traditions , and the wise practices of Christians over the centuries .
All through the Old Testament , we see God treat prosperity and wealth , wisely stewarded by the heads of godly families ( see Abraham and Job ) , as good things .
He offers abundance and plenty to those who keep His law .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor and gentle with debtors .
In the New Testament , Jesus reminded His listeners not to become the slave of worldly goods .
He showed the sanctity that can come with voluntary poverty .
Christ promised the poor who keep God ’ s law in this life blessings in in the next .
He urged the wealthy to share willingly , and for all to serve one another .
There is no political manipulation in it , no government mandate .
In vain do we read Jesus ’ meeting with Pontius Pilate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not come to abolish the Law .
He never called for everyone to own all their goods in common .
A few historic Christian groups did , but few lasted for long .
The single exception , monasteries , consisted of a tiny proportion of people who felt a special call not offered to all .
They gave up not just private property , but marriage and children , and even freedom .
Each swore total obedience ( short of committing sin ) to the monastery ’ s leader .
Poverty , celibacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a model for human life as a whole .
Taken seriously , they ’ d solve all social problems in 70 short years , of course !
The Puritans tried to live with all work and property in common , their first year in America .
And they nearly starved to death .
It turned out that if everyone got equal benefit regardless of work , few worked very hard at all .
They could have turned New England into a totalitarian state , where all worked under the whip .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private property , citing St. Paul ’ s dictum , “ If any one will not work , let him not eat ” ( 2 Thessalonians , 3:10 ) .
Over many centuries Christians have tried to sanctify the societies in which they lived .
The concept of property the Church inherited from the pagan world was deeply fallen : It included millions of slaves .
What ’ s more , the land in the Roman empire had been given by the government , over time , to the rich and mighty .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some Church Fathers denounced private property as they knew it , since most of what people had was unearned , and rested on the coerced labor of slaves .
Over time , though , ownership of land got less concentrated , and new technologies and ways of farming developed .
People began to see that property tended carefully by families with an eye to their children ’ s heritage would thrive — while fields held in common got neglected , or quickly picked clean .
Christian thinkers began to study economics , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy and Flanders , financing new inventions and bold trade ventures in foreign lands .
Christians in Medieval Spain began to theorize about how all this fit with God ’ s plan .
In post-Reformation England , John Locke built on those foundations , and he formulated the theory of private property that prevails in the English-speaking world , which Pope Leo XIII largely adopted as his own .
While God made the world in common , when people or families do work on a piece of unclaimed nature , they change it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into reshaping the works of Creation , they make those works in a real sense their own .
They gain rights over these goods by pouring their work into them .
That ’ s what marks off a farmer from a hunter-gatherer , who merely passes from one forest to the next .
That small business you built , farm you tended , novel you wrote , or idea you developed is rightly yours .
That ’ s part of your God-given human dignity .
Property ownership , seen this way , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marks our respect for the work , time , talent , and dedication that each person puts into his profession .
Our respect for what they have made flows from our respect for them , as images of God .
We even respect their freedom to give their goods away , or leave them safely for the next generation , as they wish .
If you seize someone ’ s property , you ’ re taking all the labor he put into earning it and making it into slave labor , retroactively .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing , instead of a person .
Latin American economist Hernan de Soto has proven , in ground-breaking studies , that the main cause of persistent poverty in the Third World is … the lack of firmly protected property rights for the poor .
Their hard work gets squandered or stolen by the powerful .
So they often turn in desperation to socialist movements that make matters worse for all , by making property meaningless .
Seen in this light , we understand why stealing , like killing , made its way into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commandments .
This article is part of a new Stream series called Foundations .
As we approach this year ’ s election , it appears that the most fundamental principles upon which the American republic was founded are being called into question .
Foundations is a tool for pastors , teachers , leaders and all people of faith to learn why , from a Biblical view , we should continue to support the Constitution — with an emphasis on the First and Second Amendments and wise policies that promote freedom .
Visit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this series .

An old expression says that God made man “a little lower than the angels.” Well, when it comes to our social natures, He picked a different spot. Between our impulse for freedom and our need for one another, you might say that God situated us somewhere on the spectrum between social insects and reptiles. That is, between turtles that lay their eggs and abandon them, and termites or bees that barely lead any individual existence, but only exist for the hive. In other words, somewhere between total isolation and living only for the collective.
And the problem with modern, godless ideologies (and the churches that catch their infections) is that they get our place wrong. They don’t see man as he is, and draw up their theories based on that. Instead they start with their theories and shoehorn man’s whole nature into partial, ill-fitting boxes. The error shows up on two extremes: radical libertarianism and socialism.
Libertarianism: Kids Don’t Deserve Lunch
To return to our metaphor, radical libertarians see each person as a unit — like a lizard that lives in the desert by itself, chasing its food. Apart from occasional meet-ups to briefly mate, each pursues his way alone, from the moment he crawls from the egg his mother dropped off on her way to work.
Libertarian writer Ayn Rand penned a whole series of best-selling novels without any families or children. Economist Murray Rothbard couldn’t find any reason why it was wrong for parents to starve their children to death — they didn’t owe them a living! Both thinkers supported abortion, of course. They weren’t writing for humans but for lizards, which don’t sin when they eat their young.
The same radical individualism in our society has led to easy divorce laws, shallow hookups, and the interests of children put last — the results of the Sexual Revolution and its backlash, feminism. The grimmest artifact of this worldview? You can find it in the vast, frozen technological limbo of America’s fertility clinics: hundreds of thousands of tiny human beings, conceived by cold scientific means to suit the “lifestyles” and “choices” of parents, then left in the deep freeze forever.
Socialism: You Are a Termite. Serve the Queen.
Socialists of every variety, on the other hand, would make of us ants or termites. Such insects don’t breed, or hunt, or seek shelter on their own. Instead each is almost an unthinking cell of the super-organism, the Hive. Marx sought to wipe out all private property, initiative, freedom or independence. Those were relics of “bourgeois” society — and religion was a mind-clouding, addictive “opiate.”
Societies built on his ideas (or those of racial collectivists such as Hitler) suppressed all artistic freedom, persecuted dissenters, and resulted in general poverty, even starvation. Children may be bred, in designated numbers, but only insofar as the government needs them. Think of the 400 million babies killed by forced abortion in Communist China. And of the concentration camps today filled with religious dissenters. Then think of North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba. This is not a system designed with the human species in mind. It’s for bees, ants and termites.
God Offered Property as a Blessing
We need a better way. To find it, we need look no further than the Bible, our best traditions, and the wise practices of Christians over the centuries. All through the Old Testament, we see God treat prosperity and wealth, wisely stewarded by the heads of godly families (see Abraham and Job), as good things. He offers abundance and plenty to those who keep His law. He urges them to be generous to the poor and gentle with debtors.
In the New Testament, Jesus reminded His listeners not to become the slave of worldly goods. He showed the sanctity that can come with voluntary poverty. Christ promised the poor who keep God’s law in this life blessings in in the next. He urged the wealthy to share willingly, and for all to serve one another. There is no political manipulation in it, no government mandate.
Early Christians Were Not Communists
Jesus did not come to abolish the Law. He never called for everyone to own all their goods in common. A few historic Christian groups did, but few lasted for long. The single exception, monasteries, consisted of a tiny proportion of people who felt a special call not offered to all. They gave up not just private property, but marriage and children, and even freedom. Each swore total obedience (short of committing sin) to the monastery’s leader. Poverty, celibacy, and obedience were never meant as a model for human life as a whole. Taken seriously, they’d solve all social problems in 70 short years, of course!
The Puritans tried to live with all work and property in common, their first year in America. And they nearly starved to death. It turned out that if everyone got equal benefit regardless of work, few worked very hard at all. They could have turned New England into a totalitarian state, where all worked under the whip. But the Puritans wisely returned to the traditions of private property, citing St. Paul’s dictum, “If any one will not work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians, 3:10).
Sanctifying Property and Setting People Free
Over many centuries Christians have tried to sanctify the societies in which they lived. The concept of property the Church inherited from the pagan world was deeply fallen: It included millions of slaves. What’s more, the land in the Roman empire had been given by the government, over time, to the rich and mighty. It’s in that context that some Church Fathers denounced private property as they knew it, since most of what people had was unearned, and rested on the coerced labor of slaves.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Over time, though, ownership of land got less concentrated, and new technologies and ways of farming developed. People began to see that property tended carefully by families with an eye to their children’s heritage would thrive — while fields held in common got neglected, or quickly picked clean. Christian thinkers began to study economics, and how innovation happens. Banks emerged in Italy and Flanders, financing new inventions and bold trade ventures in foreign lands. Christians in Medieval Spain began to theorize about how all this fit with God’s plan.
In post-Reformation England, John Locke built on those foundations, and he formulated the theory of private property that prevails in the English-speaking world, which Pope Leo XIII largely adopted as his own. While God made the world in common, when people or families do work on a piece of unclaimed nature, they change it. By pouring their time and talents into reshaping the works of Creation, they make those works in a real sense their own. They gain rights over these goods by pouring their work into them. That’s what marks off a farmer from a hunter-gatherer, who merely passes from one forest to the next.
Respecting Our Shared Humanness
That small business you built, farm you tended, novel you wrote, or idea you developed is rightly yours. That’s part of your God-given human dignity.
Property ownership, seen this way, is not some empty social convention. It marks our respect for the work, time, talent, and dedication that each person puts into his profession. Our respect for what they have made flows from our respect for them, as images of God. We even respect their freedom to give their goods away, or leave them safely for the next generation, as they wish. If you seize someone’s property, you’re taking all the labor he put into earning it and making it into slave labor, retroactively. You’re treating him as a thing, instead of a person.
Latin American economist Hernando de Soto Polar has proven, in ground-breaking studies, that the main cause of persistent poverty in the Third World is … the lack of firmly protected property rights for the poor. Their hard work gets squandered or stolen by the powerful. So they often turn in desperation to socialist movements that make matters worse for all, by making property meaningless.
Seen in this light, we understand why stealing, like killing, made its way into the shalt-nots as part of the Ten Commandments.
This article is part of a new Stream series called Foundations. As we approach this year’s election, it appears that the most fundamental principles upon which the American republic was founded are being called into question. Foundations is a tool for pastors, teachers, leaders and all people of faith to learn why, from a Biblical view, we should continue to support the Constitution — with an emphasis on the First and Second Amendments and wise policies that promote freedom. Visit the Foundations page to see all the articles in this series.


thestream--2020-10-28--The Landslide America Will Be Glad to Have

Seems only yesterday , there were widespread fears we were headed for election night and post-election chaos .
That it ’ d be the 2000 post-election pandemonium times 50 .
That tension was at such a fever pitch , we could pretty much guarantee violence in the streets .
In a bitterly contested , confused election , the social media giants would suppress any information favoring Trump as “ disinformation , ” and boost any news that demonstrated a Biden win .
America wouldn ’ t know who was elected for weeks , maybe months .
Maybe the House of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issue .
Certainly , battles from many states would land on the Supreme Court ’ s doorstep .
It would take the military to get Trump out of the White House .
“ Civil war ” was on many lips .
Either that , or Joe Biden was going to coast to victory .
As promised , his Antifa-BLM army would behave ( for a few months ) .
Those who opposed the socialist/totalitarian plans laid out by the radicals and former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich would just have to suck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-education camps and religious persecution .
Right now , Nate Silver ’ s 538 puts Biden ’ s chances at about 86 % .
Most polls still show Biden winning .
GOP pollster Frank Luntz says if Trump wins , the polling industry is finished .
What do I know ?
I know that no matter what happens , God is in control .
What do I sense ?
Things are going to be much better than we imagined .
And by “ we , ” I mean all loyal Americans , Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go until Election Day , I now believe Donald Trump will be re-elected with such a resounding victory , there will be no serious disputing .
Only the radicals and nutjobs will take to the street , and even those who have disdain for Trump will accept defeat .
And our attention will turn to having a warm holiday with those we love .
Oh , I could point to little signs .
Like Trump building a lead in Florida .
Or even The New York Times reporting that Trump is polling about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did in 2016 , which would all but guarantee him a win in Pennsylvania .
Or his stunning rise among Blacks and Latinos .
I could point to more Trump supporters showing up at Biden rallies than Biden supporters , or wild Trump car rallies in places where having a GOP sticker on your car used to guarantee your car getting keyed .
I could point to the enthusiasm gap , which is massive .
Or Kamala Harris blowing her big audition , voters understanding she is the real candidate in this election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thank you !
” Or the common sense observation that few people will stand for line in hours just to vote against Trump .
I could point to the fact that Donald Trump is actually out there working to earn votes while Biden is , well , barely trying .
Or that Biden thinks he ’ s running for Senate and running against George Bush … or George Lopez … or George Jetson .
George someone .
I could point to that , but no , I am talking about a sense .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ spirit of division and rancor is being broken .
That something ’ s changed in recent weeks .
Almost overnight .
I started feeling it when Trump beat COVID , and was bounding out with renewed energy and hope , expressing thanks to “ The Boss ” … aka God … for help .
He took to dancing at the end of his rallies .
The spirit of death and defeat and worry from COVID seems to have weakened .
The spirit of rebellion , while still existing in the form of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic leaders , seems to have dissipated .
I mean , even after the death of RGB , and the nomination and confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett , doesn ’ t it seem the anger merchants are just going through the motions ?
I sense America is tired of fighting .
Tired of lockdowns .
Tired of being enslaved to a virus .
Really tired of manipulation .
Tired of hypocrisy .
Tired of re-fighting 2016 every day .
And tired of not being able to sing at church .
We want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or watch our kids get married with a large circle of friends and family on hand .
The call to hope is being heard .
The positivity of things like Trump boat and car parades , is more infectious than COVID .
Who doesn ’ t want to step out of the Biden circles and party ?
It ’ s like , “ The heck with your ‘ Dark Winter , ’ talk .
Yeah , there may still be pain in the night , but joy comes in the morning.
” America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sunset nation .
We ’ re sunny country , not a solemn country .
We know the “ sun will come out tomorrow.
” We “ keep on the sunny side of life.
” Things seem stormy ?
No problem .
We ’ ve got “ sunshine on a cloudy day.
” The American breed has hope built into our DNA .
Nobody comes here without heart and hope and chutzbah to take on the unknown .
Take on adversity .
Those huddled masses yearning to breathe free may have been tired , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were rich with courage and optimism , and they ’ ve passed it down to us .
That is why I think in one week , America will choose to step up rather than hunker down .
Choose to join the parade , rather sit and sulk .
Choose dancing to “ YMCA ” to bowing before COVID-19 .
I believe Donald Trump will win with a broad coalition , including Blacks and Latinos in record numbers for a Republican .
He will win the popular vote by millions .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he ’ s not expected to .
And here ’ s the strangest part of my prediction .
To their shock , some Democrats will feel less bad about it than they expected .
They know Biden is not up for the job .
That the corruption stories are likely true , and Kamala is a train wreck .
They couldn ’ t bring themselves to vote for Trump .
But there ’ s relief , after all the chaos of 2020 , not to have to deal with the certain uncertainty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is no small thing that with a 2020 win , the 2016 election will finally be over .
Friends , I have a hope something new will rise .
I believe we are in for a surprise after the election .
In fact , we may see something beautiful .
A joyful , deeper Christmas season .
After 2020 , the glitz and tinsel of Christmas will pale next to the profound feeling for home and hearth , faith and family .
Do you care what you get Mom , or are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with her ?
Starting with two days before the election , we will discover the United States had a phenomenal , historic 30 % or more growth during the third quarter , marking an amazing rebound from the COVID shutdown .
The return to prosperity , there for the taking .
We took the hit , Jack … or should I say “ Xi , ” … and we ’ ve bounced back .
Within weeks of the election we will have a bipartisan COVID relief package .
Its hold-up was purely political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the room with Trump when he signs it , not that I expect them to smooch under any White House mistletoe .
We will suddenly see the COVID scare stories diminish dramatically .
The 24/7 hysteria was purely political .
More schools and blue state businesses will open .
We will see more of the gracious side of President Trump .
More of that guy in our featured image .
He already seems to be smiling more .
If the Saudis and Israelis Can Come to Terms… We will see more peace on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Mossad said the other day Saudi Arabia and Israel will make peace shortly after the election .
A Saudi-Israeli peace agreement will be monumental achievement , a glorious day for the nations of the earth .
And an opportunity to help heal the divided nation .
Can you imagine a signing ceremony in Washington before Christmas ?
I encourage President Trump to invite former President Jimmy Carter as his special guest to take part , honoring him for his role in the historic Egypt-Israel Camp David Accords .
Share the spotlight with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carter with Anwar Sadat and Menachim Begin , hands clasped .
I could see Trump , as a reconciliatory gesture , also inviting former President Bill Clinton , who brokered the Israel-Jordan peace agreement .
What ’ s more , I see more people over the holidays reaching out to friends they ’ d defriended on Facebook , or family members reuniting who ’ d broken relations over politics .
If the Saudis and Israelis can do it … First the Demo , Then the Rebuild It may sound strange to think of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people together , but consider this : His previous job involved him taking over rundown , beaten up properties .
Tearing them down to their foundations and frame , then building up something new and beautiful and exquisite in its place .
Tearing buildings to their foundations and basics is messy , dirty , noisy business .
That was Trump ’ s first term .
Building up something beautiful and harmonious , and full and new and bright ?
That ’ s Trump ’ s second term .
Al Perrotta is the Managing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with @ JZmirak , of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration .
You can follow him at @ StreamingAl .
And if you aren ’ t already , please follow The Stream at @ Streamdotorg .

Seems only yesterday, there were widespread fears we were headed for election night and post-election chaos. That it’d be the 2000 post-election pandemonium times 50. That tension was at such a fever pitch, we could pretty much guarantee violence in the streets.
In a bitterly contested, confused election, the social media giants would suppress any information favoring Trump as “disinformation,” and boost any news that demonstrated a Biden win. America wouldn’t know who was elected for weeks, maybe months. Maybe the House of Representatives was going to have to settle the issue. Certainly, battles from many states would land on the Supreme Court’s doorstep.
It would take the military to get Trump out of the White House. “Civil war” was on many lips.
Either that, or Joe Biden was going to coast to victory. As promised, his Antifa-BLM army would behave (for a few months). Those who opposed the socialist/totalitarian plans laid out by the radicals and former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich would just have to suck it up, and prepare for the re-education camps and religious persecution.
Right now, Nate Silver’s 538 puts Biden’s chances at about 86%. Most polls still show Biden winning. GOP pollster Frank Luntz says if Trump wins, the polling industry is finished.
What do I know? I know that no matter what happens, God is in control. What do I sense? Things are going to be much better than we imagined. And by “we,” I mean all loyal Americans, Democrat or Republican.
With one week to go until Election Day, I now believe Donald Trump will be re-elected with such a resounding victory, there will be no serious disputing. Only the radicals and nutjobs will take to the street, and even those who have disdain for Trump will accept defeat.
And our attention will turn to having a warm holiday with those we love.
The Little Signs
Oh, I could point to little signs. Like Trump building a lead in Florida. Or even The New York Times reporting that Trump is polling about 10 points better in Philadelphia than he did in 2016, which would all but guarantee him a win in Pennsylvania. Or his stunning rise among Blacks and Latinos.
I could point to more Trump supporters showing up at Biden rallies than Biden supporters, or wild Trump car rallies in places where having a GOP sticker on your car used to guarantee your car getting keyed. I could point to the enthusiasm gap, which is massive.
Or Kamala Harris blowing her big audition, voters understanding she is the real candidate in this election, and going, “No, thank you!” Or the common sense observation that few people will stand in line for hours just to vote against Trump.
America is a Chuck Berry riff, not Russian literature.
I could point to the fact that Donald Trump is actually out there working to earn votes while Biden is, well, barely trying.
Or that Biden thinks he’s running for Senate and running against George Bush … or George Lopez … or George Jetson. George someone.
I could point to that, but no, I am talking about a sense. A feeling in my bones that a spirit of division and rancor is being broken. That something’s changed in recent weeks. Almost overnight.
I started feeling it when Trump beat COVID, and was bounding out with renewed energy and hope, expressing thanks to “The Boss” … aka God … for help. He took to dancing at the end of his rallies. The spirit of death and defeat and worry from COVID seems to have weakened.
The spirit of rebellion, while still existing in the form of the media, social media giants, and Democratic leaders, seems to have dissipated. I mean, even after the death of RGB, and the nomination and confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, doesn’t it seem the anger merchants are just going through the motions?
America is a Sunny Country
I sense America is tired of fighting. Tired of lockdowns. Tired of being enslaved to a virus. Really tired of manipulation. Tired of hypocrisy. Tired of re-fighting 2016 every day.
And tired of not being able to sing at church. We want to sing or watch a choir sing … or watch our kids get married with a large circle of friends and family on hand.
The call to hope is being heard. The positivity of things like Trump boat and car parades, is more infectious than COVID. Who doesn’t want to step out of the Biden circles and party?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
It’s like, “The heck with your ‘Dark Winter,’ talk. Yeah, there may still be pain in the night, but joy comes in the morning.”
America is a sunrise nation. Not a sunset nation. We’re sunny country, not a solemn country. We know the “sun will come out tomorrow.” We “keep on the sunny side of life.” Things seem stormy? No problem. We’ve got “sunshine on a cloudy day.”
America is a Chuck Berry riff, not Russian literature.
Hope Built Into Our DNA
The American breed has hope built into our DNA. Nobody comes here without heart and hope and chutzbah to take on the unknown. Take on adversity. Those huddled masses yearning to breathe free may have been tired, they may have been poor. But they were rich with courage and optimism, and they’ve passed it down to us.
That is why I think in one week, America will choose to step up rather than hunker down. Choose to join the parade, rather than sit and sulk. Choose dancing to “YMCA” to bowing before COVID-19.
I believe Donald Trump will win with a broad coalition, including Blacks and Latinos in record numbers for a Republican. He will win the popular vote by millions. In the electoral college, he will win even where he’s not expected to.
And here’s the strangest part of my prediction. To their shock, some Democrats will feel less bad about it than they expected. They know Biden is not up for the job. That the corruption stories are likely true, and Kamala is a train wreck. They couldn’t bring themselves to vote for Trump. But there’s relief, after all the chaos of 2020, not to have to deal with the certain uncertainty of a Biden presidency.
And, it is no small thing that with a 2020 win, the 2016 election will finally be over.
Friends, I have a hope something new will rise.
A Beautiful Christmas
I believe we are in for a surprise after the election. In fact, we may see something beautiful. A joyful, deeper Christmas season.
After 2020, the glitz and tinsel of Christmas will pale next to the profound feeling for home and hearth, faith and family. Do you care what you get Mom, or are you just grateful you get to be with her?
Starting with two days before the election, we will discover the United States had a phenomenal, historic 30% or more growth during the third quarter, marking an amazing rebound from the COVID shutdown. The return to prosperity, there for the taking. We took the hit, Jack … or should I say “Xi,” … and we’ve bounced back.
Within weeks of the election we will have a bipartisan COVID relief package. Its hold-up was purely political. Perhaps Pelosi will even be in the room with Trump when he signs it, not that I expect them to smooch under any White House mistletoe.
We will suddenly see the COVID scare stories diminish dramatically. The 24/7 hysteria was purely political. More schools and blue state businesses will open.
We will see more of the gracious side of President Trump. More of that guy in our featured image. He already seems to be smiling more.
If the Saudis and Israelis Can Come to Terms…
We will see more peace on earth! An official with Israel’s Mossad said the other day Saudi Arabia and Israel will make peace shortly after the election. A Saudi-Israeli peace agreement will be monumental achievement, a glorious day for the nations of the earth.
And an opportunity to help heal the divided nation.
Can you imagine a signing ceremony in Washington before Christmas? I encourage President Trump to invite former President Jimmy Carter as his special guest to take part, honoring him for his role in the historic Egypt-Israel Camp David Accords. Share the spotlight with him. Re-enact the historic photo of Carter with Anwar Sadat and Menachim Begin, hands clasped. I could see Trump, as a reconciliatory gesture, also inviting former President Bill Clinton, who brokered the Israel-Jordan peace agreement.
What’s more, I see more people over the holidays reaching out to friends they’d defriended on Facebook, or family members reuniting who’d broken relations over politics.
If the Saudis and Israelis can do it …
First the Demo, Then the Rebuild
It may sound strange to think of Donald Trump as someone who could bring people together, but consider this: His previous job involved him taking over rundown, beaten up properties. Tearing them down to their foundations and frame, then building up something new and beautiful and exquisite in its place.
Tearing buildings to their foundations and basics is messy, dirty, noisy business. That was Trump’s first term.
Building up something beautiful and harmonious, and full and new and bright? That’s Trump’s second term.
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author, with @JZmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl. And if you aren’t already, please follow The Stream at @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-10-27--A Respectful Response to My Friend John Piper About Voting for Trump

John Piper has been a friend — a good and faithful friend — for more than 40 years .
I thank God for his remarkable worldwide ministry , his evident deep love for God , his faithfulness to every word of Scripture , and the way his life of self-sacrifice continues to provide a challenge to me personally .
When we have opportunities to be together , I enjoy every minute of conversation with him .
I pray for him regularly , as I believe he does for me .
I agree with probably 98 % of everything he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But he and I have reached different conclusions about this year ’ s presidential election .
His October 22 article , “ Policies , Persons , and Paths to Ruin , ” explained why he thought it would be wrong for him to support either candidate in this election .
( He does not mention either candidate by name , but the article is about this election and he compares one candidate who supports policies that endorse “ baby-killing , ” “ sex-switching , ” and “ socialistic overreach ” ( evidently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is guilty of sins of “ unrepentant sexual immorality ” and “ unrepentant boastfulness ” ( evidently Donald Trump ) .
I am writing to explain why I have reached a different decision , and why I voted a few days ago for Donald Trump .
I would summarize Dr. Piper ’ s argument as follows : • The personal sins of a leader can be as harmful to persons and to nations as morally evil laws .
• Christians communicate a falsehood when we act as if policies and laws are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of person .
• The horrible sin of pride leads people to other sins , including defending abortion , and therefore voting for a clearly boastful candidate might also be indirectly supporting abortion .
• Voting for either candidate would compromise a person ’ s Christian witness .
As is characteristic of Piper ’ s personal humility , he allows that “ you need not be sinning if you weigh matters differently , ” and adds , “ my way need not be yours.
” In what follows , I want to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differently ” in all four of those points with respect to this election .
1 .
The claim that the personal sins of a leader can be as harmful to persons and to nations as morally evil laws .
Piper writes , “ I remain baffled that so many Christians consider the sins of unrepentant sexual immorality … unrepentant boastfulness … unrepentant vulgarity … unrepentant factiousness , and the like to be only toxic for our nation , while policies that endorse baby-killing , sex-switching , freedom-limiting and socialistic overreach are viewed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are sins mentioned in the New Testament … They are sins that destroy people … They are deadly forever .
They lead to eternal destruction ( 2 Thessalonians 1:9 ) .
” He adds , “ It is not a small thing to treat lightly a pattern of public behaviors that lead to death.
” Furthermore , he says that such sins are “ nation-corrupting .
They move out from centers of influence to infect whole cultures .
The last five years bear witness to this infection at almost every level of society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rulers and subjects .
When the Bible describes a king by saying ‘ he sinned and made Israel to sin ’ ( 1 Kings 14:16 ) … It means his influence shaped the people.
” a .
There is a difference between the personal influence of a leader ’ s example , which may be rejected , and laws that compel obedience .
Piper ’ s argument fails to recognize that people can decide not to imitate the sins of a leader , but they can not do that with laws .
Laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have seen and decided not to imitate Trump ’ s character flaws .
The most frequent comment I hear from Trump supporters is something like , “ I don ’ t like his insulting tweets or his personality , but I ’ m supporting him anyway because he has brought about good laws and policies.
” Americans are perfectly free to say , “ Trump ’ s boastfulness offends me and I don ’ t want to act that way myself.
” But if laws are passed ( and upheld by the courts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no creative professional like a cake decorator ( or photographer or florist ) will be free to say , “ I believe same-sex marriage is morally wrong , and I won ’ t use my artistic talent to decorate a cake celebrating same-sex marriage.
” No high school girl will be free to say , “ I won ’ t undress and change clothes for my gym class because there are boys in the locker room who claim to be girls.
” No Christian adoption agency will be free to say , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couples.
” And if Democrats gain control of our government and the Supreme Court , and enact their desired policies , no Christian taxpayer will be free to say , “ I refuse to pay that portion of my taxes that the government is using to pay for abortions.
” No business owner will be free to say , “ I will not buy medical insurance for my employees that pays for abortions and sex-change surgeries.
” There will be only two choices : violate your conscience or else be driven to bankruptcy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have not seen any increase in boastfulness or sexual immorality in the United States as a result of people imitating Donald Trump ’ s behavior .
I know of no one who has become more boastful because of President Trump being boastful .
Nor have I heard of anyone who excused his own unfaithful conduct in marriage because Donald Trump was unfaithful several years ago .
Instead , such actions have been universally condemned by leaders in both political parties and they have hurt , not helped , Donald Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up as models to imitate .
They have been used as examples to avoid .
As for the Bible verse that says King Jeroboam “ made Israel to sin ” ( 1 Kings 14:16 ) , the previous chapters do not say that this involved imitation of Jeroboam ’ s moral character , but instead the text specifies that Jeroboam ’ s sin was in making idols and constructing alternative worship centers and then ordaining priests who were not Levites , all of which contradicted God ’ s commands .
Jeroboam “ made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said to the people , “ You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough .
Behold your gods , O Israel … And he set one in Bethel , and the other he put in Dan .
Then this thing became a sin , for the people went as far as Dan to be before one .
He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people , who were not of the Levites ” ( 1 Kings 12:28-31 ; cf .
14:9 ) .
b .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more important than personal character , but they are the primary factor to consider in a political election .
A candidate ’ s character and policies are both important to consider before voting .
And I would agree that there are some character flaws so serious that they would by themselves disqualify a candidate ( such as an avowed racist ) .
But in most elections , and with most candidates , we have to choose between two rather ordinary human beings , both of whom have flaws .
In that case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisive .
And that is the case in this election .
c. Christians who support Trump do not encourage imitation of his flaws but openly criticize them .
Piper writes as if supporting Donald Trump means encouraging people to imitate his flaws .
But I know of no Christian leader who has toned down his or her criticism of unfaithfulness in marriage or criticism of pride since present Trump took office .
And certainly no leader has said anything like “ Because Donald Trump is president , Americans should feel free to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boastful and prouder.
” No , the Christian leaders who support Trump have explicitly rejected and criticized things such as his previous sexual immorality and his boastfulness .
d. I have a more positive evaluation of Trump ’ s character than John Piper does .
Here is the point at which people will make different political judgments , because human beings are extremely complex , and therefore an accurate assessment of a person ’ s character is difficult .
It certainly should not be done quickly on the basis of small snippets of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that “ all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ” ( Romans 3:20 ) , so every human being has flaws that others can criticize .
Piper speaks of Trump ’ s character in entirely negative terms .
Because of unbelievably hostile reporting in the mainstream press , other people can see no good character traits at all in President Trump .
My assessment is different , and I think it is more balanced .
I wrote this in 2016 and it still applies : And now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office , I would add that he has shown remarkable courage of his convictions , faithfulness to his campaign promises , steadfastness of purpose in spite of an astoundingly hostile press , incredible energy in the performance of his job , dignity and even eloquence in many formal speeches and ceremonies at home and abroad , respect and appreciation for his wife Melania and his sons and daughters and a wide-ranging understanding of the hundreds of different issues that every president faces .
In contrast to his past life , during his term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hint of any sexual impropriety .
He is sometimes boastful but on a number of occasions I have seen him publicly give credit to many other people for things that have been accomplished .
And I think he has shown mature and wise judgment in a variety of situations that he has faced as president .
e. With Trump , we will get good policies and character flaws , but with Biden we will get bad policies and character flaws .
It is easy to compare President Trump with a hypothetical “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he falls short , but that is not our choice .
If Trump is not reelected , we will have President Biden , with an entirely different set of character flaws .
The multiple allegations that Vice President Biden used his government office and influence to enrich members of his own family with millions of dollars from China , Russia and Ukraine should be of deep concern , because using government power to enrich one ’ s own family is the consistent characteristic of corrupt leaders in many countries of the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prominence many leaders with exemplary lives .
Donald Trump is not the only person we are voting for .
It is remarkable that the Trump administration has elevated so many self-professing evangelical Christians — far more than any in my lifetime — into positions of high influence in our government .
They also provide role models for Americans .
To vote for Trump as president is also to vote for Mike Pence as Vice President , Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State , Ben Carson as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russell Vought as Director of the Office of Management and Budget , and numerous others .
In addition , Trump has appointed numerous deeply committed Roman Catholics to various positions , the most recent being Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court .
The character of these leaders is also a role model for the nation .
2 .
The claim that Christians communicate a falsehood when we act as if policies and laws are more precious than being a certain kind of person .
Piper writes , “ Christians communicate a falsehood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if policies and laws that protect life and freedom are more precious than being a certain kind of person.
” He also says , “ I find it bewildering that Christians can be so sure that greater damage will be done by bad judges , bad laws , and bad policies than is being done by the culture-infecting spread of the gangrene of sinful self-exultation , and boasting , and strife-stirring.
” a. I agree with John Piper that , considering all of life , a person ’ s character is far more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws .
I agree that , from God ’ s perspective , a person ’ s character is of utmost importance .
God said to the prophet Samuel , “ Man looks on the outward appearance , but the LORD looks on the heart ” ( 1 Sam .
16:7 ) .
b .
But when an election determines what kind of policies and laws we will have , and when both candidates have character flaws , then differences in policies and laws have primary importance .
A presidential election is not deciding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life , which is certainly our relationship with Christ .
Paul writes , “ I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord ” ( Phil .
3:8 ) .
A presidential election is simply choosing the leaders of our government .
In such a situation , the primary purpose is to decide what kind of government we will have , and in that situation policies and laws are not the only consideration , but they are the most important consideration .
3 .
The claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to other sins , including defending abortion , and therefore voting for a clearly boastful candidate might also be indirectly supporting abortion .
Piper writes , “ Where does the wickedness of defending child-killing come from ?
It comes from hearts of self-absorbed arrogance and boasting ( James 4:1-2 ) … .
In other words , it comes from the very character that so many Christian leaders are treating us comparatively innocuous.
” a .
The primary motive behind support for abortion rights is a desire for sexual freedom without the responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that “ arrogance and boasting ” are the primary motivations that lead people to support abortion rights .
I think rather the primary motive is rebellion against God ’ s commands that forbid sex outside of marriage between a man and woman .
The motive is a desire for sexual freedom without the responsibility of raising children .
As for doctors who perform abortions , I think the primary motivation is greed .
Piper refers to James 4:1-2 to show that support for his statement that “ child-killing ” comes from “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ verses specifically speak about coveting , not boasting , that leads to murder : “ You desire and do not have , so you murder ” ( James 4:2 ) .
There is no doubt a measure of pride involved in all sins , but I do not think there is a direct causal relationship between a president who exhibits pride and the prevalence of abortion in a society .
It seems to me entirely consistent to support a boastful candidate who supports executive actions and laws that restrict abortion rights .
4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate would compromise a person ’ s Christian witness .
In closing , Piper explains , “ Where does that leave me as I face a civic duty on November 3 ?
Here ’ s my answer … I will not develop some calculus to determine which path of destruction I will support .
That is not my duty .
My calling is to lead people to see Jesus Christ , trust his forgiveness for sins , treasure him above everything in this world … That calling is contradicted by supporting either pathway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a .
If a significant number of evangelicals follow John Piper ’ s example , it will guarantee a Biden victory .
Imagine what would happen if all evangelical Christians followed Piper ’ s example and decided to write in someone else ’ s name instead of voting for either Trump or Biden .
The result would be an overwhelming landslide victory for Biden , because the largest single bloc of Trump supporters is evangelical Christians .
In 2016 , 80 % of white evangelicals voted for Trump , while 16 % voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t vote for president or voted for some other candidate .
If that 4 % of “ vote for neither one ” evangelical voters had been 5 % or 6 % , Hillary Clinton would have been president .
So , if Trump loses the evangelical bloc , Biden wins .
In fact , if a significant number of Christians decide not to vote for either Trump or Biden , the result will not be some ideal third-party president .
It will be a Biden presidency which ( in my opinion ) will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Therefore the decision not to vote for either candidate is not a neutral position for evangelicals .
When evangelicals decide not to vote for either candidate , this takes voters primarily from Trump ’ s base and therefore helps Biden win the election .
b .
Supporting Trump for his good policies while criticizing his flaws and respecting another person ’ s political judgment does not compromise a person ’ s Christian witness .
In this atmosphere of political polarization , Christians have an opportunity to enhance their Christian witness when they discuss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listening respectfully to the other person ’ s viewpoint and explaining that we seek good government ( as best we understand it ) for our neighbors , not from base motives but because of Jesus ’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves ( Matthew 22:39 ) .
c. Supporting Trump for his good policies while criticizing his flaws is supporting a pathway to cultural improvement , not a “ pathway to cultural corruption and eternal ruin.
” I differ with my friend John Piper about the results of a second term for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term , I look forward to the appointment of more originalist judges ( who will interpret the laws and not make new laws on their own ) , further legal restrictions on abortion , greater protections for religious freedom and freedom of conscience , lower taxes , fewer government regulations , a rapidly growing economy , low unemployment rates ( especially significant for ethnic minorities ) , increased prosperity for people at every income level , additional history-making agreements between Israel and additional Arab nations , a clearheaded recognition of the economic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a high value placed on human freedom and on personal accountability for committing crimes , increasing numbers of children eligible for taxpayer-supported school choice , a secure border followed by a comprehensive reform of our immigration system , and an increase in police presence in high crime neighborhoods , with a resulting decrease in crime .
On the other hand , if evangelicals stay away from voting for either Biden or Trump , then under a Biden presidency I would expect the appointment of hundreds of judges who take the law in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be above the original meaning of the Constitution , laws that allow abortion up to the moment of birth and even after , the use of tax money to pay for abortions and gender reassignment surgery , the crippling of our economy with ever-increasing government control and ever-increasing taxes , increased unemployment , a weaker military unable to counter the increasing aggressiveness of China in the world ’ s oceans , a Jimmy Carter-like foreign policy of appeasement , abandoning Israel to fend for itself in the Middle East , adding additional seats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court , draconian laws that compel artistic professionals to affirm the validity of same-sex marriage even when contrary to their consciences , a reinstatement of the Obama-era guidelines that required schools to allow biological males to use girls ’ bathrooms , locker rooms and showers and to allow them to compete in women ’ s sports , a massive increase in energy costs , ever-increasing restrictions on police forces , leading to an increase in crime , and the proliferation of violence and intimidation to nullify freedom of speech ( in practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberal political agenda , open borders , sanctuary cities and a complete federal takeover of our healthcare system .
These are two vastly different kinds of nations .
The first one features increasing freedom , personal responsibility and human flourishing .
The second one features ever-increasing government control of every aspect of our lives , significant losses of freedom and the implementation of many laws and regulations that are contrary to the moral teachings of Scripture .
That is why voting for Trump seems to me to be the most loving , most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just as John Piper in his article modeled respect for those who have another position , so I also respect him for the courage and clarity of his convictions , and for his characteristic willingness to advocate a potentially unpopular position because he thinks it is right .
I hope that in what I have written here I have modeled a way to disagree with a friend graciously and in a way that will not damage our friendship in the future .
P.S .
After I finished writing this article , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He replied that I had represented him fairly , and he assured me that he counted me as a dear friend .
He also pointed out how I could make one of my arguments stronger !
I think that only someone with a strong confidence in the sovereignty of God over all history would do that in the midst of a serious disagreement about the future of a nation .
Wayne Grudem is Distinguished Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona .
The views expressed in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and should not be understood to represent the position of Phoenix Seminary .

John Piper has been a friend — a good and faithful friend — for more than 40 years. I thank God for his remarkable worldwide ministry, his evident deep love for God, his faithfulness to every word of Scripture, and the way his life of self-sacrifice continues to provide a challenge to me personally. When we have opportunities to be together, I enjoy every minute of conversation with him. I pray for him regularly, as I believe he does for me. I agree with probably 98% of everything he has written and said during his entire ministry.
But he and I have reached different conclusions about this year’s presidential election. His October 22 article, “Policies, Persons, and Paths to Ruin,” explained why he thought it would be wrong for him to support either candidate in this election. (He does not mention either candidate by name, but the article is about this election and he compares one candidate who supports policies that endorse “baby-killing,” “sex-switching,” and “socialistic overreach” (evidently Joe Biden) to the other candidate who is guilty of sins of “unrepentant sexual immorality” and “unrepentant boastfulness” (evidently Donald Trump).
I am writing to explain why I have reached a different decision, and why I voted a few days ago for Donald Trump.
I would summarize Dr. Piper’s argument as follows:
The personal sins of a leader can be as harmful to persons and to nations as morally evil laws. Christians communicate a falsehood when we act as if policies and laws are more precious than being a certain kind of person. The horrible sin of pride leads people to other sins, including defending abortion, and therefore voting for a clearly boastful candidate might also be indirectly supporting abortion. Voting for either candidate would compromise a person’s Christian witness.
As is characteristic of Piper’s personal humility, he allows that “you need not be sinning if you weigh matters differently,” and adds, “my way need not be yours.” In what follows, I want to give reasons why I do “weigh matters differently” in all four of those points with respect to this election.
1. The claim that the personal sins of a leader can be as harmful to persons and to nations as morally evil laws.
Piper writes, “I remain baffled that so many Christians consider the sins of unrepentant sexual immorality … unrepentant boastfulness … unrepentant vulgarity … unrepentant factiousness, and the like to be only toxic for our nation, while policies that endorse baby-killing, sex-switching, freedom-limiting and socialistic overreach are viewed as deadly.”
He continues, “These are sins mentioned in the New Testament … They are sins that destroy people … They are deadly forever. They lead to eternal destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:9).”
He adds, “It is not a small thing to treat lightly a pattern of public behaviors that lead to death.”
Furthermore, he says that such sins are “nation-corrupting. They move out from centers of influence to infect whole cultures. The last five years bear witness to this infection at almost every level of society … There is a character connection between rulers and subjects. When the Bible describes a king by saying ‘he sinned and made Israel to sin’ (1 Kings 14:16) … It means his influence shaped the people.”
My reply:
a. There is a difference between the personal influence of a leader’s example, which may be rejected, and laws that compel obedience.
Piper’s argument fails to recognize that people can decide not to imitate the sins of a leader, but they cannot do that with laws. Laws require obedience. But millions of people have seen and decided not to imitate Trump’s character flaws. The most frequent comment I hear from Trump supporters is something like, “I don’t like his insulting tweets or his personality, but I’m supporting him anyway because he has brought about good laws and policies.”
Americans are perfectly free to say, “Trump’s boastfulness offends me and I don’t want to act that way myself.” But if laws are passed (and upheld by the courts) that enforce the LGBT agenda, no creative professional like a cake decorator (or photographer or florist) will be free to say, “I believe same-sex marriage is morally wrong, and I won’t use my artistic talent to decorate a cake celebrating same-sex marriage.” No high school girl will be free to say, “I won’t undress and change clothes for my gym class because there are boys in the locker room who claim to be girls.” No Christian adoption agency will be free to say, “We will not place children with same-sex couples.”
And if Democrats gain control of our government and the Supreme Court, and enact their desired policies, no Christian taxpayer will be free to say, “I refuse to pay that portion of my taxes that the government is using to pay for abortions.” No business owner will be free to say, “I will not buy medical insurance for my employees that pays for abortions and sex-change surgeries.” There will be only two choices: violate your conscience or else be driven to bankruptcy or go to jail.
Therefore the decision not to vote for either candidate is not a neutral position for evangelicals. When evangelicals decide not to vote for either candidate, this takes voters primarily from Trump’s base and therefore helps Biden win the election.
Finally, I have not seen any increase in boastfulness or sexual immorality in the United States as a result of people imitating Donald Trump’s behavior. I know of no one who has become more boastful because of President Trump being boastful. Nor have I heard of anyone who excused his own unfaithful conduct in marriage because Donald Trump was unfaithful several years ago. Instead, such actions have been universally condemned by leaders in both political parties and they have hurt, not helped, Donald Trump’s reputation. They have not been held up as models to imitate. They have been used as examples to avoid.
As for the Bible verse that says King Jeroboam “made Israel to sin” (1 Kings 14:16), the previous chapters do not say that this involved imitation of Jeroboam’s moral character, but instead the text specifies that Jeroboam’s sin was in making idols and constructing alternative worship centers and then ordaining priests who were not Levites, all of which contradicted God’s commands. Jeroboam “made two calves of gold” and then he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel … And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one. He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites” (1 Kings 12:28-31; cf. 14:9).
b. Political policies are not, in general, more important than personal character, but they are the primary factor to consider in a political election.
A candidate’s character and policies are both important to consider before voting. And I would agree that there are some character flaws so serious that they would by themselves disqualify a candidate (such as an avowed racist). But in most elections, and with most candidates, we have to choose between two rather ordinary human beings, both of whom have flaws. In that case, an evaluation of their policies becomes decisive. And that is the case in this election.
c. Christians who support Trump do not encourage imitation of his flaws but openly criticize them.
Piper writes as if supporting Donald Trump means encouraging people to imitate his flaws. But I know of no Christian leader who has toned down his or her criticism of unfaithfulness in marriage or criticism of pride since present Trump took office. And certainly no leader has said anything like “Because Donald Trump is president, Americans should feel free to be unfaithful in their marriages and become more boastful and prouder.” No, the Christian leaders who support Trump have explicitly rejected and criticized things such as his previous sexual immorality and his boastfulness.
d. I have a more positive evaluation of Trump’s character than John Piper does.
Here is the point at which people will make different political judgments, because human beings are extremely complex, and therefore an accurate assessment of a person’s character is difficult. It certainly should not be done quickly on the basis of small snippets of information. And complicating the task is the fact that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), so every human being has flaws that others can criticize.
Piper speaks of Trump’s character in entirely negative terms. Because of unbelievably hostile reporting in the mainstream press, other people can see no good character traits at all in President Trump. My assessment is different, and I think it is more balanced. I wrote this in 2016 and it still applies:
He is egotistical, bombastic, and brash. He often lacks nuance in his statements. Sometimes he blurts out mistaken ideas … that he later must abandon. He insults people. He can be vindictive when people attack him … He has been married three times and claims to have been unfaithful in his marriages. These are certainly flaws, but I don’t think they are disqualifying flaws in this election. On the other hand, I think some of the accusations hurled against him are unjustified. His many years of business conduct show that he is not racist or anti-(legal) immigrant or anti-Semitic or misogynistic — I think these are unjust magnifications by a hostile press exaggerating some careless statements he has made. I think he is deeply patriotic and sincerely wants the best for the country. He has been an unusually successful problem solver in business. He has raised remarkable children. Many who have known him personally speak highly of his kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity.
And now, after his nearly four years in office, I would add that he has shown remarkable courage of his convictions, faithfulness to his campaign promises, steadfastness of purpose in spite of an astoundingly hostile press, incredible energy in the performance of his job, dignity and even eloquence in many formal speeches and ceremonies at home and abroad, respect and appreciation for his wife Melania and his sons and daughters and a wide-ranging understanding of the hundreds of different issues that every president faces. In contrast to his past life, during his term in office there has not been even a hint of any sexual impropriety. He is sometimes boastful but on a number of occasions I have seen him publicly give credit to many other people for things that have been accomplished. And I think he has shown mature and wise judgment in a variety of situations that he has faced as president.
e. With Trump, we will get good policies and character flaws, but with Biden we will get bad policies and character flaws.
It is easy to compare President Trump with a hypothetical “perfect” president and to conclude that he falls short, but that is not our choice. If Trump is not reelected, we will have President Biden, with an entirely different set of character flaws. The multiple allegations that Vice President Biden used his government office and influence to enrich members of his own family with millions of dollars from China, Russia and Ukraine should be of deep concern, because using government power to enrich one’s own family is the consistent characteristic of corrupt leaders in many countries of the world.
f. The Trump administration has brought to prominence many leaders with exemplary lives.
Donald Trump is not the only person we are voting for. It is remarkable that the Trump administration has elevated so many self-professing evangelical Christians — far more than any in my lifetime — into positions of high influence in our government. They also provide role models for Americans. To vote for Trump as president is also to vote for Mike Pence as Vice President, Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, Ben Carson as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, Russell Vought as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and numerous others. In addition, Trump has appointed numerous deeply committed Roman Catholics to various positions, the most recent being Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. The character of these leaders is also a role model for the nation.
2. The claim that Christians communicate a falsehood when we act as if policies and laws are more precious than being a certain kind of person.
Piper writes, “Christians communicate a falsehood to unbelievers … when we act as if policies and laws that protect life and freedom are more precious than being a certain kind of person.”
He also says, “I find it bewildering that Christians can be so sure that greater damage will be done by bad judges, bad laws, and bad policies than is being done by the culture-infecting spread of the gangrene of sinful self-exultation, and boasting, and strife-stirring.”
My reply:
a. I agree with John Piper that, considering all of life, a person’s character is far more important than his or her policies and laws.
I agree that, from God’s perspective, a person’s character is of utmost importance. God said to the prophet Samuel, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).
b. But when an election determines what kind of policies and laws we will have, and when both candidates have character flaws, then differences in policies and laws have primary importance.
A presidential election is not deciding what is most important in all of life, which is certainly our relationship with Christ. Paul writes, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:8). A presidential election is simply choosing the leaders of our government. In such a situation, the primary purpose is to decide what kind of government we will have, and in that situation policies and laws are not the only consideration, but they are the most important consideration.
3. The claim that the horrible sin of pride leads people to other sins, including defending abortion, and therefore voting for a clearly boastful candidate might also be indirectly supporting abortion.
Piper writes, “Where does the wickedness of defending child-killing come from? It comes from hearts of self-absorbed arrogance and boasting (James 4:1-2) …. In other words, it comes from the very character that so many Christian leaders are treating us comparatively innocuous.”
My reply:
a. The primary motive behind support for abortion rights is a desire for sexual freedom without the responsibility of raising children.
I do not think that “arrogance and boasting” are the primary motivations that lead people to support abortion rights. I think rather the primary motive is rebellion against God’s commands that forbid sex outside of marriage between a man and woman. The motive is a desire for sexual freedom without the responsibility of raising children. As for doctors who perform abortions, I think the primary motivation is greed.
Piper refers to James 4:1-2 to show that support for his statement that “child-killing” comes from “self-absorbed arrogance and boasting.” But these verses specifically speak about coveting, not boasting, that leads to murder: “You desire and do not have, so you murder” (James 4:2).
There is no doubt a measure of pride involved in all sins, but I do not think there is a direct causal relationship between a president who exhibits pride and the prevalence of abortion in a society. It seems to me entirely consistent to support a boastful candidate who supports executive actions and laws that restrict abortion rights.
4. The claim that voting for either candidate would compromise a person’s Christian witness.
In closing, Piper explains, “Where does that leave me as I face a civic duty on November 3? Here’s my answer … I will not develop some calculus to determine which path of destruction I will support. That is not my duty. My calling is to lead people to see Jesus Christ, trust his forgiveness for sins, treasure him above everything in this world … That calling is contradicted by supporting either pathway to cultural corruption and eternal ruin.”
My reply:
a. If a significant number of evangelicals follow John Piper’s example, it will guarantee a Biden victory.
Imagine what would happen if all evangelical Christians followed Piper’s example and decided to write in someone else’s name instead of voting for either Trump or Biden. The result would be an overwhelming landslide victory for Biden, because the largest single bloc of Trump supporters is evangelical Christians. In 2016, 80% of white evangelicals voted for Trump, while 16% voted for Clinton and 4% didn’t vote for president or voted for some other candidate. If that 4% of “vote for neither one” evangelical voters had been 5% or 6%, Hillary Clinton would have been president.
So, if Trump loses the evangelical bloc, Biden wins. In fact, if a significant number of Christians decide not to vote for either Trump or Biden, the result will not be some ideal third-party president. It will be a Biden presidency which (in my opinion) will bring great harm to the nation.
Therefore the decision not to vote for either candidate is not a neutral position for evangelicals. When evangelicals decide not to vote for either candidate, this takes voters primarily from Trump’s base and therefore helps Biden win the election.
b. Supporting Trump for his good policies while criticizing his flaws and respecting another person’s political judgment does not compromise a person’s Christian witness.
In this atmosphere of political polarization, Christians have an opportunity to enhance their Christian witness when they discuss politics by showing a gracious temperament, listening respectfully to the other person’s viewpoint and explaining that we seek good government (as best we understand it) for our neighbors, not from base motives but because of Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39).
c. Supporting Trump for his good policies while criticizing his flaws is supporting a pathway to cultural improvement, not a “pathway to cultural corruption and eternal ruin.”
I differ with my friend John Piper about the results of a second term for President Trump. In a Trump second term, I look forward to the appointment of more originalist judges (who will interpret the laws and not make new laws on their own), further legal restrictions on abortion, greater protections for religious freedom and freedom of conscience, lower taxes, fewer government regulations, a rapidly growing economy, low unemployment rates (especially significant for ethnic minorities), increased prosperity for people at every income level, additional history-making agreements between Israel and additional Arab nations, a clearheaded recognition of the economic, military and information threat from China, a high value placed on human freedom and on personal accountability for committing crimes, increasing numbers of children eligible for taxpayer-supported school choice, a secure border followed by a comprehensive reform of our immigration system, and an increase in police presence in high crime neighborhoods, with a resulting decrease in crime.
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On the other hand, if evangelicals stay away from voting for either Biden or Trump, then under a Biden presidency I would expect the appointment of hundreds of judges who take the law in their own hands and even consider themselves to be above the original meaning of the Constitution, laws that allow abortion up to the moment of birth and even after, the use of tax money to pay for abortions and gender reassignment surgery, the crippling of our economy with ever-increasing government control and ever-increasing taxes, increased unemployment, a weaker military unable to counter the increasing aggressiveness of China in the world’s oceans, a Jimmy Carter-like foreign policy of appeasement, abandoning Israel to fend for itself in the Middle East, adding additional seats to make a liberal majority on the Supreme Court, draconian laws that compel artistic professionals to affirm the validity of same-sex marriage even when contrary to their consciences, a reinstatement of the Obama-era guidelines that required schools to allow biological males to use girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms and showers and to allow them to compete in women’s sports, a massive increase in energy costs, ever-increasing restrictions on police forces, leading to an increase in crime, and the proliferation of violence and intimidation to nullify freedom of speech (in practice) for those who disagree with the liberal political agenda, open borders, sanctuary cities and a complete federal takeover of our healthcare system.
These are two vastly different kinds of nations. The first one features increasing freedom, personal responsibility and human flourishing. The second one features ever-increasing government control of every aspect of our lives, significant losses of freedom and the implementation of many laws and regulations that are contrary to the moral teachings of Scripture. That is why voting for Trump seems to me to be the most loving, most faithful choice for a Christian.
Finally, just as John Piper in his article modeled respect for those who have another position, so I also respect him for the courage and clarity of his convictions, and for his characteristic willingness to advocate a potentially unpopular position because he thinks it is right. I hope that in what I have written here I have modeled a way to disagree with a friend graciously and in a way that will not damage our friendship in the future.
P.S. After I finished writing this article, I sent it to John for any comments. He replied that I had represented him fairly, and he assured me that he counted me as a dear friend. He also pointed out how I could make one of my arguments stronger! I think that only someone with a strong confidence in the sovereignty of God over all history would do that in the midst of a serious disagreement about the future of a nation.
Wayne Grudem is Distinguished Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona. The views expressed in this article represent the views of the author and should not be understood to represent the position of Phoenix Seminary.
Originally published at The Christian Post.