thestream--2020-05-10--This Interview Has Nothing to Do with Coronavirus. It’s About Tolkien, Okay? You’re Welcome.

Stream author Timothy Furnish has a fascinating resume .
As his bio here reports , Furnish “ holds a Ph.D. in Islamic , World and African history ( Ohio State , 2001 ) .
He is a former U.S. Army Arabic linguist and , later , civilian consultant to U.S. Special Operations Command .
He ’ s author of books on the Middle East and Middle-earth ; history professor ; and sometime media opiner ( as , for example , on Fox News Channel ’ s ‘ War Stories : Fighting ISIS ’ ) .
” Furnish has published quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heft on the Muslim world .
He specializes in apocalyptic movements that fuel jihadi violence in both the Shi ’ ite and Sunni movements .
His latest book is different though .
Very different .
And a whole lot of fun .
So I decided to ask him about it for The Stream .
The Stream : High Towers and Strong Places : A Political History of Middle Earth is a very unusual book .
You applied your scholarly skills not to the world-ending fantasies of jihadis , but the world-building fantasy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does Tolkien ’ s work represent to us , that merits examining it as if it were real history ?
Short answer : because I ’ m a geek .
Longer answer : because I ’ ve so loved Tolkien ’ s world since 1976 .
That ’ s when I first read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings .
I wanted to live in that world .
After Peter Jackson ’ s movies came out , and after I ’ d taught some military history classes , I became fascinated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So I started researching and writing on the great battles and wars of that Secondary World .
But in doing so I did so much study of the political actors ( Gondor , Mordor , etc . )
that my then-publisher recommended making the political history a stand-alone volume .
That came out in 2016 .
My wife and I just republished the book on Amazon .
Think of the huge appeal of Tolkien ’ s fiction — both in the original books and in the Jackson adaptations .
Middle Earth is more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ books sold in the 100 million plus range .
The trilogy was voted the best book of the 20th century in a BBC poll a few years ago .
And we all know how successful the movies were .
Tolkien pulls together much that is best in humanity , especially in the subset of Western civilization — courage , hope , loyalty , friendship , self-sacrifice —and does so while appealing to our “ longing ” for the “ ideal alternative experience.
” ( As C.S .
Lewis , Tolkien ’ s close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ folks read Tolkien and want to hang out in the Shire and smoke pipeweed .
But I always would have preferred to be a Gondorean military strategist living in Minas Tirith .
And I thus wrote accordingly .
You go out on an interesting limb .
You treat the writings of J.R.R .
Tolkien exactly the way you might the real history of Iraq or the Byzantine Empire .
Is that because Tolkien himself intended us to read his works as the pre-history of this present earth ?
So we ’ re meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sauron and Galadriel , all walked on our own soil .
Long ages before ancient Sumer or Egypt .
We are living now in the Fourth Age , the domain of men .
How does that transform our experience of the books and films ?
Partly .
The first chapter of my book explains this at some length .
Tolkien clearly states in many places ( most notably his Letters ) that Middle-earth is a fictional time , but not a fictional place .
It ’ s ancient ( alternative ? )
history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re probably now in the Sixth or Seventh Age .
The War of the Ring took place in the Third Age .
Then Aragorn became King Elessar and ushered in the Fourth Age .
That ’ s the beginning of the Dominion of Men and the fading away of the Elves and Dwarves and Hobbits .
Tolkien in fact says explicitly that the gap between the fall of Barad-dûr [ Sauron ’ s fortress ] and our own time is about 6000 years .
That means the Ring was destroyed in about 4000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is very exciting and makes Middle Earth all the more realistic , if not actually real .
In one of his posthumous works , The Fall of Gondolin ( about a famous First Age Elf kingdom ) , Tolkien make this clear .
He puts Gondolin in a list of renowned sacked cites : “ Bablon , ” “ Ninwi , ” ( Nineveh ) “ Trui , ” ( Troy ) Rum ( Rome ) .
” That is striking .
Gondolin is of a kind with Babylon , Nineveh , Troy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was what the inhabitants of the Byzantine Empire called themselves : Romans . )
The creator of Middle Earth made it clear that he wanted us to treat his Secondary World historically .
Most books on Tolkien ( to the point of being repetitive ) look at his works as mythic literature .
How did treating them like history change the way you appreciate them ?
It made them , and their world , even more real for me .
It got me examining the political systems of the Shire or the Dwarf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the extent of Second Age Numenorean imperialism .
All of these just brought to mind historical analogs ( which I write about ) , and as I said made Middle-earth all the more real .
Tolkien spoke in great theological depth ( he was a devout Catholic ) about “ sub-creation.
” That is , the effort to put Christian love into the careful creation of fiction , respecting its inner consistency and honoring God ’ s Creation that way .
Did researching this book give you new respect for how seriously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tolkien created a Secondary World almost as real ( istic ) as our Primary one .
He gave it its own history , languages , kingdoms and warfare .
But more than that , he gave it a morality that is , if not Christian , certainly previewing Christianity .
There is one god , Eru .
He created the universe and the world ( s ) , of which Arda — Earth — is but one .
Arda is overseen , at least till the end of the Third Age , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eru ’ s overall direction .
The Elves are really subservient to the Valar .
But Men lived more directly linked to the one God .
In fact , the Men of Numenor appear as true , pre-Judaic ( if you will ) monotheists .
They keep a temple to Eru — that is , until Sauron corrupts them .
There ’ s even a hope of Eru coming into Middle Earth and redeeming it from the evil done by Morgoth , the Lucifer figure .
My study of this wound up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Fading Elves and the Dying , Secular West One issue you discussed I found fascinating .
It ’ s something I ’ d wondered about .
You ponder the fact that the elves are naturally immortal ( except for deaths by violence ) .
You ask whether that , over time , affected their willingness to risk their lives in battle or adventure .
( Since they had thousands , not dozens , of potential years of life to risk . )
I wonder if that applies to some degree to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremely comfortable and secular societies .
Has it made us so risk-averse that we can ’ t fathom or properly resist the threats we face ?
Such as … jihadis , who believe that if they die while killing us they go straight to Paradise ?
Can we learn something from the “ fading ” of the elves ?
That ’ s an excellent point that I ’ d never thought of before .
Yes , there ’ s an analogy .
Think of the near-immortal Elves and their ( speculative ) reluctance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millennia-long lives .
Compare them to modern secular Westerners fearing death .
But the reasons differ .
Each of Tolkien ’ s Elves always know that if he is killed or dies in Middle Earth , his spirit goes to Valinor .
( That ’ s where Valar dwell on Arda . )
Then he will be reunited with a body .
So any Elven hesitancy to die in battle would be predicated on a wish to remain in Middle-earth .
Not a fear of death per se .
But modern secularists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one , truly do fear the reaper .
And as the old adage goes : a man afraid to die is afraid to live .
We Christians are unlike the Men of Middle-earth .
We stand sure of life after this one .
Those Who Seek Power Shouldn ’ t Get It You note that most of the benevolent governments in the novels are monarchies .
Can you talk a bit about Tolkien ’ s attitude toward politics ?
Especially his dictum that those who seek power are the least safe to wield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to former businessman Donald Trump ?
See Tolkien ’ s Letters .
He says “ my own political opinions lean more and more to Anarchy ( philosophically understood , meaning abolition of control not whiskered men with bombs ) — or to ‘ unconstitutional Monarchy.
’ ” He adds that “ the most improper job of any man , even saints … is bossing other men .
Not one in a million is fit for it , and least of all those who seek the opportunity.
” By “ unconstitutional monarchy ” I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fittingly enough ) — what we would call absolute monarchy .
This squares with his conviction that anyone seeking power probably should not have it .
But someone born and groomed to be a ruler doesn ’ t seek that position .
He sees it as heavy burden thrust upon him .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Recall that democracies or republics are few and far between in our Primary ’ s World ’ s history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across space and time ?
They have been monarchies .
Whether the ruler was called pharaoh , emperor , king or caliph .
So they must have some utility , to be so prevalent throughout history .
Tolkien takes this into account in Middle Earth .
Monarchies remain out of favor here in the Sixth ( or Seventh ) Age .
So we are left with only the second of Tolkien ’ s political preferences .
That is , putting in power persons who don ’ t really want it .
And yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this bill .
He clearly didn ’ t need to run for office .
He was wealthy and had nothing to prove to anyone .
But he decided to do so because his country was going in the wrong direction .
And seemed likely to elect someone ( Hillary Clinton ) who had spent her whole life seeking power and , indeed , control over others .
You have a second book in mind , on the military technology and tactics depicted in Tolkien ’ s chronicles .
Please tell us a bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bright Swords and Glorious Warriors : A Military History of Middle Earth .
Eru willing , I will finish it this summer .
Bright Swords will examine some two dozen major battles from the First , Second and Third Ages of Middle-earth .
I ’ ll proceed just as I do ones in the ancient and medieval military class which I teach in college .
I will look at weapons , fighting styles , tactics , strategy and even logistics of armies of Elves , Dwarves , Men and Orcs .
Here are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well : • Did Elves ever use steel bows , as the Numenoreans did ?
• How did Orcs train their warg cavalry ?
• How did the forces of Gondor , led by a young Aragorn as Captain “ Thorongil , ” destroy Corsair ships long before the War of the Ring ?
I may even be forced to consider whether Orcs had latrines .
It will be a fun , and informative book .
Now — I need to get back to work !
John Zmirak is a senior editor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .

Stream author Timothy Furnish has a fascinating resume. As his bio here reports, Furnish “holds a Ph.D. in Islamic, World and African history (Ohio State, 2001). He is a former U.S. Army Arabic linguist and, later, civilian consultant to U.S. Special Operations Command. He’s author of books on the Middle East and Middle-earth; history professor; and sometime media opiner (as, for example, on Fox News Channel’s ‘War Stories: Fighting ISIS’).”
Furnish has published quite a few highly readable books with scholarly heft on the Muslim world. He specializes in apocalyptic movements that fuel jihadi violence in both the Shi’ite and Sunni movements.
His latest book is different though. Very different. And a whole lot of fun. So I decided to ask him about it for The Stream.
The Stream: High Towers and Strong Places: A Political History of Middle Earth is a very unusual book. You applied your scholarly skills not to the world-ending fantasies of jihadis, but the world-building fantasy of J.R.R. Tolkien. Why? What does Tolkien’s work represent to us, that merits examining it as if it were real history?
Short answer: because I’m a geek. Longer answer: because I’ve so loved Tolkien’s world since 1977. That’s when I first read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I wanted to live in that world. After Peter Jackson’s movies came out, and after I’d taught some military history classes, I became fascinated with the military aspects of Middle-earth.
So I started researching and writing on the great battles and wars of that Secondary World. But in doing so I did so much study of the political actors (Gondor, Mordor, etc.) that my then-publisher recommended making the political history a stand-alone volume. That came out in 2016. My wife and I just republished the book on Amazon.
Think of the huge appeal of Tolkien’s fiction — both in the original books and in the Jackson adaptations. Middle Earth is more than just an escapist fantasy. The books sold in the 100 million plus range. The trilogy was voted the best book of the 20th century in a BBC poll a few years ago. And we all know how successful the movies were.
Tolkien pulls together much that is best in humanity, especially in the subset of Western civilization — courage, hope, loyalty, friendship, self-sacrifice —and does so while appealing to sehnsucht , our “longing” for the “ideal alternative experience.” (As C.S. Lewis, Tolkien’s close friend, wrote about.) Many folks read Tolkien and want to hang out in the Shire and smoke pipeweed. But I always would have preferred to be a Gondorean military strategist living in Minas Tirith. And I thus wrote accordingly.
Byzantine Gondor, Anglo-Saxon Rohan
You go out on an interesting limb. You treat the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien exactly the way you might the real history of Iraq or the Byzantine Empire. Is that because Tolkien himself intended us to read his works as the pre-history of this present earth? So we’re meant to imagine that Frodo and Gandalf, Sauron and Galadriel, all walked on our own soil. Long ages before ancient Sumer or Egypt. We are living now in the Fourth Age, the domain of men. How does that transform our experience of the books and films?
Partly. The first chapter of my book explains this at some length. Tolkien clearly states in many places (most notably his Letters) that Middle-earth is a fictional time, but not a fictional place. It’s ancient (alternative?) history. He also says that we’re probably now in the Sixth or Seventh Age.
The War of the Ring took place in the Third Age. Then Aragorn became King Elessar and ushered in the Fourth Age. That’s the beginning of the Dominion of Men and the fading away of the Elves and Dwarves and Hobbits. Tolkien in fact says explicitly that the gap between the fall of Barad-dûr [Sauron’s fortress] and our own time is about 6000 years. That means the Ring was destroyed in about 4000 BC. I think all of this is very exciting and makes Middle Earth all the more realistic, if not actually real.
In one of his posthumous works, The Fall of Gondolin (about a famous First Age Elf kingdom), Tolkien make this clear. He puts Gondolin in a list of renowned sacked cites: “Bablon,” “Ninwi,” (Nineveh) “Trui,” (Troy) Rum (Rome).” That is striking. Gondolin is of a kind with Babylon, Nineveh, Troy and Constantinople. (“Rum” was what the inhabitants of the Byzantine Empire called themselves: Romans.) The creator of Middle Earth made it clear that he wanted us to treat his Secondary World historically.
Sub-Creation and the Creator
Most books on Tolkien (to the point of being repetitive) look at his works as mythic literature. How did treating them like history change the way you appreciate them?
It made them, and their world, even more real for me. It got me examining the political systems of the Shire or the Dwarf kingdoms, how Sauron controlled the Orcs, the extent of Second Age Numenorean imperialism. All of these just brought to mind historical analogs (which I write about), and as I said made Middle-earth all the more real.
Many folks read Tolkien and want to hang out in the Shire and smoke pipeweed. But I always would have preferred to be a Gondorean military strategist living in Minas Tirith.
Tolkien spoke in great theological depth (he was a devout Catholic) about “sub-creation.” That is, the effort to put Christian love into the careful creation of fiction, respecting its inner consistency and honoring God’s Creation that way. Did researching this book give you new respect for how seriously Tolkien took that?
Very much so. Tolkien created a Secondary World almost as real(istic) as our Primary one. He gave it its own history, languages, kingdoms and warfare. But more than that, he gave it a morality that is, if not Christian, certainly previewing Christianity. There is one god, Eru. He created the universe and the world(s), of which Arda — Earth — is but one. Arda is overseen, at least till the end of the Third Age, by the archangelic Valar. All under Eru’s overall direction. The Elves are really subservient to the Valar. But Men lived more directly linked to the one God. In fact, the Men of Numenor appear as true, pre-Judaic (if you will) monotheists. They keep a temple to Eru — that is, until Sauron corrupts them.
There’s even a hope of Eru coming into Middle Earth and redeeming it from the evil done by Morgoth, the Lucifer figure . My study of this wound up in a stand-alone article, by the way.
The Fading Elves and the Dying, Secular West
One issue you discussed I found fascinating. It’s something I’d wondered about. You ponder the fact that the elves are naturally immortal (except for deaths by violence). You ask whether that, over time, affected their willingness to risk their lives in battle or adventure. (Since they had thousands, not dozens, of potential years of life to risk.) I wonder if that applies to some degree to those of us in First World, extremely comfortable and secular societies. Has it made us so risk-averse that we can’t fathom or properly resist the threats we face? Such as … jihadis, who believe that if they die while killing us they go straight to Paradise? Can we learn something from the “fading” of the elves?
That’s an excellent point that I’d never thought of before. Yes, there’s an analogy. Think of the near-immortal Elves and their (speculative) reluctance to give up their incredibly rich, millennia-long lives. Compare them to modern secular Westerners fearing death. But the reasons differ.
Each of Tolkien’s Elves always know that if he is killed or dies in Middle Earth, his spirit goes to Valinor. (That’s where Valar dwell on Arda.) Then he will be reunited with a body. So any Elven hesitancy to die in battle would be predicated on a wish to remain in Middle-earth. Not a fear of death per se.
But modern secularists, with no hope of life after this one, truly do fear the reaper. And as the old adage goes: a man afraid to die is afraid to live. We Christians are unlike the Men of Middle-earth. We stand sure of life after this one.
Those Who Seek Power Shouldn’t Get It
You note that most of the benevolent governments in the novels are monarchies. Can you talk a bit about Tolkien’s attitude toward politics? Especially his dictum that those who seek power are the least safe to wield it? Can we apply that maxim to former businessman Donald Trump?
See Tolkien’s Letters. He says “my own political opinions lean more and more to Anarchy (philosophically understood, meaning abolition of control not whiskered men with bombs) — or to ‘unconstitutional Monarchy.’” He adds that “the most improper job of any man, even saints … is bossing other men. Not one in a million is fit for it, and least of all those who seek the opportunity.”
By “unconstitutional monarchy” I think Tolkien meant the ancient kind (fittingly enough) — what we would call absolute monarchy. This squares with his conviction that anyone seeking power probably should not have it. But someone born and groomed to be a ruler doesn’t seek that position. He sees it as heavy burden thrust upon him.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Recall that democracies or republics are few and far between in our Primary’s World’s history. The vast majority of political systems across space and time? They have been monarchies. Whether the ruler was called pharaoh, emperor, king or caliph. So they must have some utility, to be so prevalent throughout history. Tolkien takes this into account in Middle Earth.
Monarchies remain out of favor here in the Sixth (or Seventh) Age. So we are left with only the second of Tolkien’s political preferences. That is, putting in power persons who don’t really want it. And yes, to some extent President Trump fits this bill. He clearly didn’t need to run for office. He was wealthy and had nothing to prove to anyone. But he decided to do so because his country was going in the wrong direction. And seemed likely to elect someone (Hillary Clinton) who had spent her whole life seeking power and, indeed, control over others.
Glowing Swords and Bows of Steel
You have a second book in mind, on the military technology and tactics depicted in Tolkien’s chronicles. Please tell us a bit about that.
My title’s Bright Swords and Glorious Warriors: A Military History of Middle Earth. Eru willing, I will finish it this summer. Bright Swords will examine some two dozen major battles from the First, Second and Third Ages of Middle-earth. I’ll proceed just as I do ones in the ancient and medieval military class which I teach in college. I will look at weapons, fighting styles, tactics, strategy and even logistics of armies of Elves, Dwarves, Men and Orcs. Here are some topics I’ll cover, as well:
How many Men comprised a thangail battle formation?
Did Elves ever use steel bows, as the Numenoreans did?
How did Orcs train their warg cavalry?
How did the forces of Gondor, led by a young Aragorn as Captain “Thorongil,” destroy Corsair ships long before the War of the Ring?
I may even be forced to consider whether Orcs had latrines. It will be a fun, and informative book. Now — I need to get back to work!
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism.


thestream--2020-05-10--Our Culture Needs Marriage, Because It Needs Mothers

“ Far more people appear to suffer alone , ” according to an article on The Washington Post .
A tragic consequence of the coronavirus pandemic ?
Yes , to be sure , but this quote comes from a story filed in 2006 about a study on social isolation .
Countless mothers will be absolutely alone this Mother ’ s Day because of the pandemic .
But even before “ social distancing ” became our daily mantra Americans were experiencing unprecedented social isolation .
According to the National Science Foundation , over a decade ago one quarter of Americans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no one with whom they can discuss personal troubles .
Social Isolation is a Chronic Problem in Our Society We were heading toward radical social isolation even before COVID-19 .
The virus just accelerated our pace .
Seniors in nursing homes can not lay eyes on anyone related to them .
Parents are dying in hospitals without the succor and support of children and grandchildren .
The coronavirus pandemic gives a glimpse of the future in store for those who have foregone marriage and children .
The antidote to this promise of loneliness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Men and women becoming husbands and wives and raising the children that may come through their union , by the grace of God .
But new statistics show more Americans than ever are abandoning marriage .
According to a study just released by the National Center for Health Statistics there are only 6.5 marriages for every 1,000 of us , a decline of 6 % in the marriage rate .
This is the lowest rate since the government started keeping such statistics way back in 1867 .
The ’ 60s Sexual Revolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interested in marriage .
That ’ s also when the argument that marriage is bad for women was first made in earnest .
In 1972 the book The Future of Marriage by social science researcher Jesse Bernard was something of an urtext in anti-marriage-ism .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Bernard asserted that married women are beset with fear .
“ Married more than unmarried women [ are ] troubled by ideas that people [ are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Are “ fearful of falling when on high places.
” Will “ cross the street to avoid meeting people.
” This is what passed for scholarship on marriage in those days .
Funny .
But her book has been cited hundreds of times in scholarly journals , which is not funny at all .
The message that marriage makes women miserable is heard today .
Paul Dolan is an author and behavioral scientist who says forget what surveys say about happiness and marriage .
Last year he told women at a literary festival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they never marry and never have children .
Our Culture Needs Wives and Mothers Even if women are persuaded that they do not need marriage , marriage needs them , and our culture needs marriage .
To put it bluntly , wives and mothers are needed very much today .
During this strange time of quarantine , wives and mothers are learning just how much they really mean to the lives of those around them .
They are spending their days teaching children , calming fears , creating budgets , planting gardens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recipes .
Delivery services can bring food to shut-ins , but people are starved for companionship and love , and that UPS can not deliver .
Daily phone calls and special gifts left on doorsteps mean so much .
I know a man whose life was , quite literally , saved by the tenacity and perseverance of his loving wife .
Pope John Paul II used to speak often of the “ law of the gift.
” We are most human , and most free , in the measure that we serve those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If the promotion of the self is understood in terms of absolute autonomy , ” he wrote in his masterly papal encyclical Evangelium Vitae , “ people inevitably reach the point of rejecting one another .
Everyone else is considered an enemy from whom one has to defend oneself.
” What if the quest for freedom just leaves us bitter and lonely ?
I Came Into Marriage and Motherhood Later in Life I was a late vocation to marriage , not tying the knot until age 39 .
The odds were against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but one little miracle came along and then a few years later another .
Coming this late to motherhood , I have something of a unique perspective .
For most of my years I was an unmarried , childless lawyer .
Able to go where I wanted , when I wanted .
My compass was what was best for me , humanly speaking .
Then after this long autonomous life , I was someone ’ s wife , and someone ’ s mother .
Belonging to these people has utterly changed my life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our society needs wives and mothers and grandmothers .
Like most social scientists say , intimate social ties provide civic benefits .
But not only that , they provide psychological benefits , too , for those who answer the call .
Being loved and needed by those you love and need .
This Mother ’ s Day , more than ever .
Cathy Ruse , J.D.
, is Senior Legal Fellow and Director of Human Dignity at the Family Research Council .

“Far more people appear to suffer alone,” according to an article on The Washington Post. A tragic consequence of the coronavirus pandemic? Yes, to be sure, but this quote comes from a story filed in 2006 about a study on social isolation.
Countless mothers will be absolutely alone this Mother’s Day because of the pandemic. But even before “social distancing” became our daily mantra Americans were experiencing unprecedented social isolation. According to the National Science Foundation, over a decade ago one quarter of Americans, a staggering cohort, said they have no one with whom they can discuss personal troubles.
Social Isolation is a Chronic Problem in Our Society
We were heading toward radical social isolation even before COVID-19. The virus just accelerated our pace. Seniors in nursing homes cannot lay eyes on anyone related to them. Parents are dying in hospitals without the succor and support of children and grandchildren. The coronavirus pandemic gives a glimpse of the future in store for those who have foregone marriage and children.
The antidote to this promise of loneliness and isolation is the formation of families.
The antidote to this promise of loneliness and isolation is the formation of families. Men and women becoming husbands and wives and raising the children that may come through their union, by the grace of God.
But new statistics show more Americans than ever are abandoning marriage. According to a study just released by the National Center for Health Statistics there are only 6.5 marriages for every 1,000 of us, a decline of 6% in the marriage rate. This is the lowest rate since the government started keeping such statistics way back in 1867.
The Sexual Revolution Harmed Marriage
The ’60s Sexual Revolution can explain why some men are less interested in marriage. That’s also when the argument that marriage is bad for women was first made in earnest. In 1972 the book The Future of Marriage by social science researcher Jesse Bernard was something of an urtext in anti-marriage-ism.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Bernard asserted that married women are beset with fear. “Married more than unmarried women [are] troubled by ideas that people [are] watching them on the street.” Are “fearful of falling when on high places.” Will “cross the street to avoid meeting people.” This is what passed for scholarship on marriage in those days. Funny. But her book has been cited hundreds of times in scholarly journals, which is not funny at all.
The message that marriage makes women miserable is heard today. Paul Dolan is an author and behavioral scientist who says forget what surveys say about happiness and marriage. Last year he told women at a literary festival in Wales that they will be happiest if they never marry and never have children.
Our Culture Needs Wives and Mothers
Even if women are persuaded that they do not need marriage, marriage needs them, and our culture needs marriage. To put it bluntly, wives and mothers are needed very much today.
During this strange time of quarantine, wives and mothers are learning just how much they really mean to the lives of those around them. They are spending their days teaching children, calming fears, creating budgets, planting gardens, leading prayers, dusting off old recipes.
Delivery services can bring food to shut-ins, but people are starved for companionship and love, and that UPS cannot deliver. Daily phone calls and special gifts left on doorsteps mean so much. I know a man whose life was, quite literally, saved by the tenacity and perseverance of his loving wife.
Pope John Paul II used to speak often of the “law of the gift.” We are most human, and most free, in the measure that we serve those entrusted by God to our care. “If the promotion of the self is understood in terms of absolute autonomy,” he wrote in his masterly papal encyclical Evangelium Vitae, “people inevitably reach the point of rejecting one another. Everyone else is considered an enemy from whom one has to defend oneself.”
What if the quest for freedom just leaves us bitter and lonely?
I Came Into Marriage and Motherhood Later in Life
I was a late vocation to marriage, not tying the knot until age 39. The odds were against our having children of our own, but one little miracle came along and then a few years later another.
Coming this late to motherhood, I have something of a unique perspective. For most of my years I was an unmarried, childless lawyer. Able to go where I wanted, when I wanted. My compass was what was best for me, humanly speaking. Then after this long autonomous life, I was someone’s wife, and someone’s mother. Belonging to these people has utterly changed my life and only ever for the better.
Our society needs wives and mothers and grandmothers. Like most social scientists say, intimate social ties provide civic benefits. But not only that, they provide psychological benefits, too, for those who answer the call.
Being loved and needed by those you love and need. This Mother’s Day, more than ever.
Cathy Ruse, J.D., is Senior Legal Fellow and Director of Human Dignity at the Family Research Council.


thestream--2020-05-09--Atheist’s 50 Questions #16: ‘Why Won’t Christian Parents Hate Their Kids More?’

Part of an extended series of answers to Guy P. Harrison ’ s book 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian .
Read the series intro here .
First I dropped the book in anger and in disbelief .
A bit later I almost threw it across the room .
You ’ ll see why .
The question Guy Harrison claimed to be asking in this chapter of 50 Questions was , “ Should Children Be Christians ?
” What he was really asking , though — and he should have realized it — was simpler .
“ Why don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” He opened the chapter with the story of a Muslim madrassa he ’ d visited in New Delhi , where thirty boys , age 8 to 12 , were being taught from the Koran .
Everything came from the Koran .
“ What about math ?
” he asked the teacher .
“ No problem , we can teach anything .
It ’ s all in the Koran.
” Nothing from maps , nothing about continental drift , no biology or physics , except from the Koran .
Their education , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incomplete … because of a religious choice .
… there was no thinking going on .
… It was indoctrination , not education.
” That ’ s his description of the madrassa , not mine .
I can ’ t say a word for or against its accuracy .
What bothered me was when he said Christians “ never make the connection between what was going on in that school in India and the way millions of children are being taught Christianity every day around the world.
” That ’ s when I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Muslims ’ children in New Delhi aren ’ t being taught science or math at all tells us there ’ s something wrong with the fact that we teach our kids Christianity ?
Harrison scorns the way “ religion is taught to very young children as being factual and necessary — without a hint or whisper of skepticism and critical thinking.
” The “ key problems ” are the same as in the madrassa , he says , specifically pointing to the way kids are taught from age two to twelve .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with this , ” he says , “ because it feels wrong .
It seems very much like intellectual bullying.
” It ’ s a good thing I ’ d had fair warning , time to prepare my mind and steel my emotions .
Otherwise I might have flung the book right across the room .
Well , no , actually I have more control over myself than that .
But it wasn ’ t because Harrison ’ s “ intellectually bullying ” idiocy didn ’ t deserve that kind of treatment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ultimate truth and source of goodness , but why not let the religion stand on its own strength ?
” Why can ’ t they be like many atheists and skeptics , including Harrison , who “ do not teach their children not to believe in gods ” ?
Teaching His Pre-Teens To Do Comparative Religion .
Impressive !
“ When my children were very young , ” he boasts , “ it never once occurred to me that I should sit them down and instruct them to reject Bible stories .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to think , rather than how to think.
” Good for him !
How virtuous .
Amazing , too !
He taught his eight-year-olds how to think .
They must have been geniuses .
If they were learning how to manage comparative religion , they were prodigies .
For most kids , the ability to think in abstract concepts doesn ’ t even begin kicking in until about age twelve .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If he ’ d been talking about teenagers instead of pre-teens , I ’ d have agreed that parents need to start teaching them the arguments both for and against Christianity .
That ’ s when kids start becoming developmentally able to work with those kinds of questions .
It ’ s okay : Christianity , properly understood , can handle the pressure .
Too few Christian parents do that , and therefore not enough Christian young adults can handle the arguments as well as they should be able to .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ll say it : If Harrison thinks he was teaching his eight-year-old kids openness to belief , he ’ s a fool .
He wasn ’ t teaching them openness , he was teaching them religion is false and/or irrelevant .
He was closing their minds to it , as surely as the Muslim dad closes his kids ’ minds to Hinduism .
If he thinks he taught them religious open-mindedness he ’ s a fool .
He was indoctrinating them , just as surely as any Christian parent .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extended family ( who must remain unnamed ) were indoctrinated by their parents , who chose to raise them “ in all the traditions.
” Neither of the two children chose to follow any religious tradition , unsurprisingly .
He says Christians shouldn ’ t teach their kids what to believe , because we might be wrong .
Then Harrison shouldn ’ t teach his kids what to believe , either , because he might be wrong , too .
And make no mistake , he ’ s taught his kids what to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or irrelevant .
It ’ s simply unbelievable that he could fail to see that .
Or that he would think parents could even help teaching their young children what they consider important .
Kids catch that kind of thing from their parents ; it ’ s unavoidable .
He thought his kids — at that age !
— should “ think independently about religion and make up their own minds.
” That ’ s incomprehensible .
And unloving .
To do this is to invite your own kids to reject what you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s guiding them to choose what you regard as false .
Except it can ’ t be done .
Harrison wasn ’ t guiding them to make up their own minds , not at that age .
I ’ ll guarantee his kids even today believe exactly what he taught them — that no religion is right for them — unless they ’ ve encountered wiser teaching since then .
One of the parents I mentioned in my extended family has since become a believer , and is trusting God to redeem lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There ’ s significant pain there , now , though .
I feel it too , believe me .
These now-adult kids of theirs are my family members , too .
Do you see why Harrison ’ s advice both astonishes and angers me ?
He ’ s full of great advice for Christian parents who want their kids to have nothing to do with Jesus Christ .
Parents who think their kids should miss out on the best thing that ’ s ever happened to them .
Parents who don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsehood .
In other words , Christians who hate their own children .
No books were harmed in the preparation of this article .
But it took some real self-control .
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with The Stream , and the author of A Christian Mind : Thoughts on Life and Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical Conversations : A Christian Parent ’ s Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens , and the lead editor of True Reason : Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism .

Part of an extended series of answers to Guy P. Harrison’s book 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian. Read the series intro here.
First I dropped the book in anger and in disbelief. A bit later I almost threw it across the room. You’ll see why.
The question Guy Harrison claimed to be asking in this chapter of 50 Questions was, “Should Children Be Christians?” What he was really asking, though — and he should have realized it — was simpler. “Why don’t Christian parents hate their kids more?”
He opened the chapter with the story of a Muslim madrassa he’d visited in New Delhi, where thirty boys, age 8 to 12, were being taught from the Koran. Everything came from the Koran. “What about math?” he asked the teacher. “No problem, we can teach anything. It’s all in the Koran.” Nothing from maps, nothing about continental drift, no biology or physics, except from the Koran.
Their education, he said, “was inept and incomplete … because of a religious choice. … there was no thinking going on. … It was indoctrination, not education.”
That’s his description of the madrassa, not mine. I can’t say a word for or against its accuracy. What bothered me was when he said Christians “never make the connection between what was going on in that school in India and the way millions of children are being taught Christianity every day around the world.” That’s when I dropped the book.
So the fact that Muslims’ children in New Delhi aren’t being taught science or math at all tells us there’s something wrong with the fact that we teach our kids Christianity?
Intellectual Bullying?
Harrison scorns the way “religion is taught to very young children as being factual and necessary — without a hint or whisper of skepticism and critical thinking.” The “key problems” are the same as in the madrassa, he says, specifically pointing to the way kids are taught from age two to twelve.
“Skeptics of religion have big problems with this,” he says, “because it feels wrong. It seems very much like intellectual bullying.”
He’s full of great advice for Christian parents who don’t want their kids to have anything to do with Jesus Christ. Parents who think their kids should miss out on the best thing that’s ever happened to them. Parents who hate their children.
It’s a good thing I’d had fair warning, time to prepare my mind and steel my emotions. Otherwise I might have flung the book right across the room. Well, no, actually I have more control over myself than that. But it wasn’t because Harrison’s “intellectually bullying” idiocy didn’t deserve that kind of treatment.
Harrison recognizes we believe “Christianity is the ultimate truth and source of goodness, but why not let the religion stand on its own strength?” Why can’t they be like many atheists and skeptics, including Harrison, who “do not teach their children not to believe in gods”?
Teaching His Pre-Teens To Do Comparative Religion. Impressive!
“When my children were very young,” he boasts, “it never once occurred to me that I should sit them down and instruct them to reject Bible stories. … That would be telling them what to think, rather than how to think.”
Good for him! How virtuous. Amazing, too! He taught his eight-year-olds how to think. They must have been geniuses. If they were learning how to manage comparative religion, they were prodigies. For most kids, the ability to think in abstract concepts doesn’t even begin kicking in until about age twelve.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
I’ll grant him one not-quite-point. If he’d been talking about teenagers instead of pre-teens, I’d have agreed that parents need to start teaching them the arguments both for and against Christianity. That’s when kids start becoming developmentally able to work with those kinds of questions.
It’s okay: Christianity, properly understood, can handle the pressure. Too few Christian parents do that, and therefore not enough Christian young adults can handle the arguments as well as they should be able to.
Harrison Indoctrinated His Kids, Too
But he was talking about pre-teens. So I’ll say it: If Harrison thinks he was teaching his eight-year-old kids openness to belief, he’s a fool. He wasn’t teaching them openness, he was teaching them religion is false and/or irrelevant. He was closing their minds to it, as surely as the Muslim dad closes his kids’ minds to Hinduism.
If he thinks he taught them religious open-mindedness he’s a fool. He was indoctrinating them, just as surely as any Christian parent. Just as surely as two kids in my extended family (who must remain unnamed) were indoctrinated by their parents, who chose to raise them “in all the traditions.” Neither of the two children chose to follow any religious tradition, unsurprisingly.
He says Christians shouldn’t teach their kids what to believe, because we might be wrong. Then Harrison shouldn’t teach his kids what to believe, either, because he might be wrong, too. And make no mistake, he’s taught his kids what to believe: that religion is either false or irrelevant.
It’s simply unbelievable that he could fail to see that. Or that he would think parents could even help teaching their young children what they consider important. Kids catch that kind of thing from their parents; it’s unavoidable.
He thought his kids — at that age! — should “think independently about religion and make up their own minds.” That’s incomprehensible. And unloving. To do this is to invite your own kids to reject what you are convinced is true. It’s guiding them to choose what you regard as false.
Except it can’t be done. Harrison wasn’t guiding them to make up their own minds, not at that age. I’ll guarantee his kids even today believe exactly what he taught them — that no religion is right for them — unless they’ve encountered wiser teaching since then.
The Atheist’s Foolish and Hateful Counsel
One of the parents I mentioned in my extended family has since become a believer, and is trusting God to redeem lost teaching opportunities from the kids’ childhood. There’s significant pain there, now, though. I feel it too, believe me. These now-adult kids of theirs are my family members, too. Do you see why Harrison’s advice both astonishes and angers me?
He’s full of great advice for Christian parents who want their kids to have nothing to do with Jesus Christ. Parents who think their kids should miss out on the best thing that’s ever happened to them. Parents who don’t care if their kids die in falsehood. In other words, Christians who hate their own children.
No books were harmed in the preparation of this article. But it took some real self-control.
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream, and the author of A Christian Mind: Thoughts on Life and Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical Conversations: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens, and the lead editor of True Reason: Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism.


thestream--2020-05-11--My Mother’s Decisive Response Changed My Life

My mother was a beautiful , humble Puerto Rican woman for whom the whole of life revolved around her children .
She was an intelligent woman with only a fifth grade education , having to abandon school in the late 1920s as mitigating poverty was a more pressing family concern .
Later on , she went to New York , as so many other Puerto Ricans did in the 40s and 50s in search of opportunity .
There she met my father .
They married and returned to the island , where I was proudly born and raised .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complicated by the color line and her adoration of my dear grandfather , Gumercindo , divorced from gramma .
My grandmother was a true African woman , a very dark skinned woman who was born just after emancipation .
She was lively and opinionated .
What I remember most of her was how severe in discipline she was and how she loved to dance Bomba songs ( a typical music inherited from the slaves ) and play maracas while dancing .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our Day .
Her mother had been a slave who bought her freedom in gold , probably by receiving a grant from a Puerto Rican anti-slavery patriot through an effort they called “ Waters of Liberty.
” As slave women came to church on Sundays to baptize their babies , just before baptism , these men would give her money to buy her child ’ s freedom , just before he received the free gift of baptismal regeneration .
My mother and one uncle were darker than her youngest sibling and my gramma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That became a source of struggle .
Uncle Ismael and mom were ostracized and formed a bond that I was never able to understand growing up .
When they saw each other they always greeted while embracing and weeping .
The sight always left me bewildered .
Mom was the most amazing mother — I guess we all think those things about our moms .
Loving , caring , always attentive to our needs , strong in discipline but even stronger in affection .
As my father worked long night shifts or was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Socialist Party , mom was that perennial presence , and I thank God for that .
She used to say , “ If your father says that we are communist , then we are.
” She really did not care about politics .
As my father ’ s political activities continued and the FBI made it more difficult for him to keep a job , we depended on mom more and more .
She never attended mass but would send my brother and me to attend with friends .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instilling in me a love for God .
She was truly a remarkable and happy woman who , at times , suffered spasms of melancholia out of a past of suffering .
I never forget the incident when I was riding my bike and collided with a neighbor ’ s bike .
I fell .
As I tried to stand up , she called me the name .
“ Why don ’ t you look more carefully , nigger ?
” I have never felt more insulted , sad , offended and hurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word .
I did not know what to say , so I said nothing and , of course , I ran home to mom .
Her response to me was decisive in my life .
Calmly , she told me to ignore it , because I was a great kid , there was nothing wrong with me , and that our neighbor was the sad one .
She told me to forgive her .
Soon , the girl came back to me for help with her homework , which I offered without complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone !
We remained friends for a long time .
My mother ’ s response taught me something radically important : my dignity resides in me , not in whatever sad errors others made about me .
She taught me that I am more than a color .
She made me see that my skills and character could defeat any evil ideas of race by which some people tried to define and limit me .
On this day , many years after she went to heaven , I love you , Mom .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Freedom & Virtue Institute , an organization dedicated to the promotion of the ideas of liberty , faith , and self-reliance .
A noted expert on effectively serving the poor and race relations , he ’ s the author of the acclaimed book , Not Tragically Colored : Freedom , Personhood , and the Renewal of Black America .
Ismael is a regular lecturer with the Acton Institute , and has spoken at Heritage Foundation , the Cato Institute , the Foundation for Economic Education , and many other organizations .

My mother was a beautiful, humble Puerto Rican woman for whom the whole of life revolved around her children. She was an intelligent woman with only a fifth grade education, having to abandon school in the late 1920s as mitigating poverty was a more pressing family concern.
Later on, she went to New York, as so many other Puerto Ricans did in the 40s and 50s in search of opportunity. There she met my father. They married and returned to the island, where I was proudly born and raised.
Complicated Relationships
Her relationship with my grandmother was difficult, complicated by the color line and her adoration of my dear grandfather, Gumercindo, divorced from gramma. My grandmother was a true African woman, a very dark skinned woman who was born just after emancipation. She was lively and opinionated. What I remember most of her was how severe in discipline she was and how she loved to dance Bomba songs (a typical music inherited from the slaves) and play maracas while dancing.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Her mother had been a slave who bought her freedom in gold, probably by receiving a grant from a Puerto Rican anti-slavery patriot through an effort they called “Waters of Liberty.” As slave women came to church on Sundays to baptize their babies, just before baptism, these men would give her money to buy her child’s freedom, just before he received the free gift of baptismal regeneration.
My mother and one uncle were darker than her youngest sibling and my gramma preferred the youngest for that reason. That became a source of struggle. Uncle Ismael and mom were ostracized and formed a bond that I was never able to understand growing up. When they saw each other they always greeted while embracing and weeping. The sight always left me bewildered.
The Most Amazing Mother
Mom was the most amazing mother — I guess we all think those things about our moms. Loving, caring, always attentive to our needs, strong in discipline but even stronger in affection. As my father worked long night shifts or was out doing politics as an active member of the Socialist Party, mom was that perennial presence, and I thank God for that.
She used to say, “If your father says that we are communist, then we are.” She really did not care about politics. As my father’s political activities continued and the FBI made it more difficult for him to keep a job, we depended on mom more and more.
She never attended mass but would send my brother and me to attend with friends. In a sense, she saved my life by instilling in me a love for God. She was truly a remarkable and happy woman who, at times, suffered spasms of melancholia out of a past of suffering.
I never forget the incident when I was riding my bike and collided with a neighbor’s bike. I fell. As I tried to stand up, she called me the name. “Why don’t you look more carefully, nigger?” I have never felt more insulted, sad, offended and hurt. Till today I despise that horrible word. I did not know what to say, so I said nothing and, of course, I ran home to mom.
Her Decisive Response
Her response to me was decisive in my life. Calmly, she told me to ignore it, because I was a great kid, there was nothing wrong with me, and that our neighbor was the sad one. She told me to forgive her. Soon, the girl came back to me for help with her homework, which I offered without complaint. I had value! I was someone! We remained friends for a long time.
My mother’s response taught me something radically important: my dignity resides in me, not in whatever sad errors others made about me. She taught me that I am more than a color. She made me see that my skills and character could defeat any evil ideas of race by which some people tried to define and limit me.
On this day, many years after she went to heaven, I love you, Mom.
Ismael Hernandez, is president of the Freedom & Virtue Institute, an organization dedicated to the promotion of the ideas of liberty, faith, and self-reliance. A noted expert on effectively serving the poor and race relations, he’s the author of the acclaimed book, Not Tragically Colored: Freedom, Personhood, and the Renewal of Black America. Ismael is a regular lecturer with the Acton Institute, and has spoken at Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, the Foundation for Economic Education, and many other organizations.


thestream--2020-05-10--Digging Deeper Into the Question of Racism in America

Does “ systemic racism ” still exist in America ?
If by “ systemic racism ” we mean Jim Crow laws or legalized slavery or enforced segregation , the answer is obviously not .
If by “ systemic racism ” we mean that black Americans still do not enjoy total equality with white Americans , then the answer would be yes .
And I believe I can demonstrate that thesis with one simple question .
But before I pose the question and before some of you write me off as guilt-ridden white man , I am anything but that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite our many , obvious flaws .
Having traveled outside the USA about 200 times , I recognize how uniquely blessed our country is .
Second , I believe that we do have some deep and lasting Christian roots as a nation , despite the many unchristian practices and policies in our history .
And I believe these Christian roots are a key to our national , historic success .
Third , I do not believe we should be making reparations today for slavery , nor do I believe that a fair-minded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sins of the slaveowners and segregationists of the past .
Fourth , I believe that racism exists on all sides , and I reject the idea that you can only be racist when you are part of the ruling majority .
Racism is a condition of the heart , and everyone can fall prey to it .
Having said that , I do believe that , while the term “ systemic racism ” may not fully apply to America today , the term “ system unfairness ” certainly does apply .
Allow me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article “ Some Honest Questions About Race Relations in America , ” about the shooting of Ahmaud Arberry , a commenter on my website posted : “ When people may ask ‘ what did the Black guy do ’ ?
As opposed to ‘ why was the black man ’ s life taken ’ …it may be because of the high criminality statistics of Blacks .
Especially Black males .
The statistics are horrible .
Black on White Crime far exceeds White on Black crime in almost every area of criminal prosecution such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state of Maryland has 75 % Black incarceration !
1 in 4 Death row inmates are Black .
And than you incredulously wonder why people are asking ‘ What did the Black guy do ’ ?
?
” In other words , this commenter seems to be implying , “ It ’ s no wonder that two white men shot and killed an unarmed black man jogging through their neighborhood .
Those blacks , especially black men , are really dangerous .
After all , statistics do not lie.
” That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generalization .
Yet , the statistics are troubling .
( I haven ’ t posed my simple question yet , but I ’ m almost there .
Please be patient . )
A Pew Research poll released in April 2019 pointed out that , despite a decrease in the number of blacks imprisoned in America , “ At the end of 2017 , federal and state prisons in the United States held about 475,900 inmates who were black and 436,500 who were white – a difference of 39,400.
” Yet there are roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , meaning that , all things being equal , there would be 436,500 whites in prison and 87,300 blacks .
Why the extreme discrepancy , one that was even worse 10 years ago ?
According to a December 2019 report , “ Black people account for about 12 % of the U.S. population , but occupy only 3.2 % of the senior leadership roles at large companies in the U.S. and just 0.8 % of all Fortune 500 CEO positions , according to the analysis by the Center for Talent Innovation , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Why ?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
We could go down the line , from crime rates to median incomes of families and more , and the discrepancy between white Americans and black Americans remains the same .
( To repeat : I write this without feeling guilt .
I ’ m simply getting to an important point . )
So , when it comes to median incomes , in 2018 , white American families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ averaged $ 41,361 .
( Interestingly , Asian American families averaged over $ 80,000 per year . )
How then do we explain this disparity ?
For me , it boils down to one question : Do you believe that blacks are inherently inferior to whites ( or Asians or others ) ?
Do you believe they are , by nature , not as smart , or more prone to violence , or lazier , or more promiscuous ?
If your answer is no ( and I surely hope it is no ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then there ’ s only one other answer : something is wrong with our system ( or , put another way , we have still not fully recovered from our racist past ) .
This doesn ’ t mean that the vast majority of whites are trying to keep blacks down .
Or are inherently racist .
Or want to maintain “ white supremacy.
” ( I ’ m sure some do ; I ’ m contending the vast majority don ’ t . )
I ’ m simply saying that when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( or , at the least , systemic injustice ) , they ’ re not making it up .
Their life experience informs them .
Unfortunately , the race baiters and the extremists in groups like Black Lives Matter often obscure our vision , as do the social theorists pushing their theories of intersectionality .
It ’ s easy to react against their positions , many of which are equally destructive .
And I understand the argument that , in some cases , there is a reason that policemen ( of all colors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a young black male as a potential crime suspect .
The question is why is that young black male more likely to be a criminal ?
Why was his family life so broken ?
Why did he have so many odds to overcome growing up in the inner city ?
In the end , we are each responsible for the decisions we make , and none of us can blame “ society ” for our choices .
If I end up in jail for a crime I committed , I bear the guilt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s also true that we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves and to pursue justice and care for the poor and the oppressed .
What , then , can we do , working together as one , to help bring true equality to our nation , with justice and dignity for all ?
It starts with listening , with respect , to one another .
Then , with understanding , taking positive steps to bring about lasting change .
Are you in ?
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fire radio program .
His latest book is When the World Stops : Words of Faith , Hope , and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis .
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

Does “systemic racism” still exist in America? If by “systemic racism” we mean Jim Crow laws or legalized slavery or enforced segregation, the answer is obviously not. If by “systemic racism” we mean that black Americans still do not enjoy total equality with white Americans, then the answer would be yes. And I believe I can demonstrate that thesis with one simple question.
But before I pose the question and before some of you write me off as a guilt-ridden white man, I am anything but that.
First, I love and appreciate America, despite our many, obvious flaws. Having traveled outside the USA about 200 times, I recognize how uniquely blessed our country is.
Second, I believe that we do have some deep and lasting Christian roots as a nation, despite the many unchristian practices and policies in our history. And I believe these Christian roots are a key to our national, historic success.
Third, I do not believe we should be making reparations today for slavery, nor do I believe that a fair-minded white American should feel responsible for the sins of the slaveowners and segregationists of the past.
Fourth, I believe that racism exists on all sides, and I reject the idea that you can only be racist when you are part of the ruling majority. Racism is a condition of the heart, and everyone can fall prey to it.
Having said that, I do believe that, while the term “systemic racism” may not fully apply to America today, the term “system unfairness” certainly does apply.
Allow me to explain.
Systematic Unfairness
In response to my article “Some Honest Questions About Race Relations in America,” about the shooting of Ahmaud Arberry, a commenter on my website posted: “When people may ask ‘what did the Black guy do’? As opposed to ‘why was the black man’s life taken’…it may be because of the high criminality statistics of Blacks. Especially Black males. The statistics are horrible. Black on White Crime far exceeds White on Black crime in almost every area of criminal prosecution such as armed robbery, rape, murder. The state of Maryland has 75% Black incarceration! 1 in 4 Death row inmates are Black. And than you incredulously wonder why people are asking ‘What did the Black guy do’??”
In other words, this commenter seems to be implying, “It’s no wonder that two white men shot and killed an unarmed black man jogging through their neighborhood. Those blacks, especially black men, are really dangerous. After all, statistics do not lie.”
That is a disturbing, even dangerous, generalization. Yet, the statistics are troubling. (I haven’t posed my simple question yet, but I’m almost there. Please be patient.)
I’m simply saying that when our black friends speak of systemic racism (or, at the least, systemic injustice), they’re not making it up. Their life experience informs them.
A Pew Research poll released in April 2019 pointed out that, despite a decrease in the number of blacks imprisoned in America, “At the end of 2017, federal and state prisons in the United States held about 475,900 inmates who were black and 436,500 who were white – a difference of 39,400.”
Yet there are roughly 5 white Americans for every black American, meaning that, all things being equal, there would be 436,500 whites in prison and 87,300 blacks. Why the extreme discrepancy, one that was even worse 10 years ago?
According to a December 2019 report, “Black people account for about 12% of the U.S. population, but occupy only 3.2% of the senior leadership roles at large companies in the U.S. and just 0.8% of all Fortune 500 CEO positions, according to the analysis by the Center for Talent Innovation, a workplace think tank in New York City.” Why?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
We could go down the line, from crime rates to median incomes of families and more, and the discrepancy between white Americans and black Americans remains the same. (To repeat: I write this without feeling guilt. I’m simply getting to an important point.)
So, when it comes to median incomes, in 2018, white American families averaged $70,642; black American families averaged $41,361. (Interestingly, Asian American families averaged over $80,000 per year.) How then do we explain this disparity?
The Path to True Equality
For me, it boils down to one question: Do you believe that blacks are inherently inferior to whites (or Asians or others)? Do you believe they are, by nature, not as smart, or more prone to violence, or lazier, or more promiscuous?
If your answer is no (and I surely hope it is no; otherwise, you are a racist), then there’s only one other answer: something is wrong with our system (or, put another way, we have still not fully recovered from our racist past).
This doesn’t mean that the vast majority of whites are trying to keep blacks down. Or are inherently racist. Or want to maintain “white supremacy.” (I’m sure some do; I’m contending the vast majority don’t.)
I’m simply saying that when our black friends speak of systemic racism (or, at the least, systemic injustice), they’re not making it up. Their life experience informs them.
Unfortunately, the race baiters and the extremists in groups like Black Lives Matter often obscure our vision, as do the social theorists pushing their theories of intersectionality. It’s easy to react against their positions, many of which are equally destructive.
And I understand the argument that, in some cases, there is a reason that policemen (of all colors and ethnicities) are quick to profile a young black male as a potential crime suspect.
The question is why is that young black male more likely to be a criminal? Why was his family life so broken? Why did he have so many odds to overcome growing up in the inner city?
In the end, we are each responsible for the decisions we make, and none of us can blame “society” for our choices. If I end up in jail for a crime I committed, I bear the guilt for that crime.
But it’s also true that we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves and to pursue justice and care for the poor and the oppressed.
What, then, can we do, working together as one, to help bring true equality to our nation, with justice and dignity for all? It starts with listening, with respect, to one another. Then, with understanding, taking positive steps to bring about lasting change.
Are you in?
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is When the World Stops: Words of Faith, Hope, and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-05-10--C. S. Lewis’s Theological Lens on the World

Pete Wehner , a gifted writer , thinker , and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center , recently wrote a great op-ed in the New York Times on C. S. Lewis ’ s approach to politics .
You can read the whole piece here , but one quote , in particular , caught my attention .
Wehner writes , I couldn ’ t agree more .
Lewis ’ s faith-based “ insights into the human condition ” are exactly why we need more “ dinosaurs ” like him , as I argued in Christianity Today a couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political implications Lewis discerned from studying human nature was that men and women would always face the temptation to turn our destiny over to the state , a desire that often ignores the realization that some will take charge of others .
These will simply be men and women , “ none perfect ; some greedy , cruel , and dishonest , ” as Lewis wrote in “ Willing Slaves of the Welfare State.
” The more that people in government control our lives , the more Lewis encourages us to ask “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corrupt as it always has done before ?
” Lewis had much more to say about progress in economics and politics in “ Willing Slaves of the Welfare State , ” an essay serving as a perfect example of how Lewis , as Wehner argues , “ saw public matters … through a theological lens.
” The title itself indicates its sobering message .
Lewis encouraged progress in “ increasing the goodness and happiness of individual lives.
” He added , however , “ Progress means movement in a desired direction , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things for our species.
” The Temptation to Trade Freedom for Security As I wrote in my booklet , Free Indeed , Lewis was particularly concerned about the tendencies in the U.K. during WWI and WWII to give up liberty for security .
He says we have grown “ though apparently grudgingly , accustomed to our chains.
” He warns that once government encroaches on our freedom , every concession makes it more difficult for us to retrace our steps .
Perhaps the most striking quotation from this essay is the one on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would like to see .
Lewis says : I believe a man is happier , and happy in a richer way , if he has ‘ the freeborn mind.
’ But I doubt whether he can have this without economic independence , which the new society is abolishing .
For independence allows an education not controlled by Government ; and in adult life it is the man who needs and asks nothing of Government who can criticize its acts and snap his fingers at its ideology .
Read Montaigne ; that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legs under his own table , eating the mutton and turnips raised on his own land .
Who will talk like that when the State is everyone ’ s schoolmaster and employer ?
Note Lewis ’ s desire for political and economic freedom .
This economic “ independence ” allows free people to eat their own “ mutton and turnips.
” This echoes the classic passage in Micah 4:4 where the ideal is that “ each of them will sit under his vine and under his fig tree with no one to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Lewis , is deplorable .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Lewis is especially concerned about the advent of a worldwide welfare state and sees the enticement to accept it .
Giving up freedom for security is a “ terrible bargain ” that is so tempting that , “ We can not blame men for making it .
We can hardly wish them not to .
Yet we can hardly bear that they should.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ do make this bargain , the loss of freedom will lead to “ total frustration ” and “ disastrous results , both moral and psychological.
” Lewis believes that we should be progressive if it leads to greater happiness .
Sometimes , however , we need to go back in order to go forward , turning the “ clock back ” or doing an about-turn on the wrong road in order to find the right one .
We should not be afraid of being called outdated or old-fashioned .
Sometimes we need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward .
If we see that we have begun wrongly , we must start all over .
In personal life , this means repentance .
In public life , it means protecting our freedoms and pushing back against the power of the “ welfare state , ” lest we be increasingly constrained in our ability to choose what we want to do and be .
This article is republished with permission from the Institute for Faith , Work & Economics .
IFWE is a Christian research organization committed to advancing biblical and economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their work and contribute to a free and flourishing society .
Click here to subscribe to the free IFWE Daily Blog .

Pete Wehner, a gifted writer, thinker, and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, recently wrote a great op-ed in the New York Times on C. S. Lewis’s approach to politics. You can read the whole piece here, but one quote, in particular, caught my attention. Wehner writes,
Lewis saw public matters, and indeed all of life, through a theological lens; his Christian belief had important public consequences because it provided him with insights into the human condition.
I couldn’t agree more. Lewis’s faith-based “insights into the human condition” are exactly why we need more “dinosaurs” like him, as I argued in Christianity Today a couple of years ago. One of the political implications Lewis discerned from studying human nature was that men and women would always face the temptation to turn our destiny over to the state, a desire that often ignores the realization that some will take charge of others. These will simply be men and women, “none perfect; some greedy, cruel, and dishonest,” as Lewis wrote in “Willing Slaves of the Welfare State.” The more that people in government control our lives, the more Lewis encourages us to ask “why, this time power should not corrupt as it always has done before?”
Lewis had much more to say about progress in economics and politics in “Willing Slaves of the Welfare State,” an essay serving as a perfect example of how Lewis, as Wehner argues, “saw public matters … through a theological lens.” The title itself indicates its sobering message. Lewis encouraged progress in “increasing the goodness and happiness of individual lives.” He added, however, “Progress means movement in a desired direction, and we do not all desire the same things for our species.”
The Temptation to Trade Freedom for Security
As I wrote in my booklet, Free Indeed, Lewis was particularly concerned about the tendencies in the U.K. during WWI and WWII to give up liberty for security. He says we have grown “though apparently grudgingly, accustomed to our chains.” He warns that once government encroaches on our freedom, every concession makes it more difficult for us to retrace our steps. Perhaps the most striking quotation from this essay is the one on the nature of the happiness that he would like to see. Lewis says:
I believe a man is happier, and happy in a richer way, if he has ‘the freeborn mind.’ But I doubt whether he can have this without economic independence, which the new society is abolishing. For independence allows an education not controlled by Government; and in adult life it is the man who needs and asks nothing of Government who can criticize its acts and snap his fingers at its ideology. Read Montaigne; that’s the voice of a man with his legs under his own table, eating the mutton and turnips raised on his own land. Who will talk like that when the State is everyone’s schoolmaster and employer?
Note Lewis’s desire for political and economic freedom. This economic “independence” allows free people to eat their own “mutton and turnips.” This echoes the classic passage in Micah 4:4 where the ideal is that “each of them will sit under his vine and under his fig tree with no one to make them afraid.” The loss of freedom, according to Lewis, is deplorable.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Lewis is especially concerned about the advent of a worldwide welfare state and sees the enticement to accept it. Giving up freedom for security is a “terrible bargain” that is so tempting that, “We cannot blame men for making it. We can hardly wish them not to. Yet we can hardly bear that they should.”
Despite the temptation, if people do make this bargain, the loss of freedom will lead to “total frustration” and “disastrous results, both moral and psychological.”
Progressing Towards Happiness
Lewis believes that we should be progressive if it leads to greater happiness. Sometimes, however, we need to go back in order to go forward, turning the “clock back” or doing an about-turn on the wrong road in order to find the right one. We should not be afraid of being called outdated or old-fashioned.
Sometimes we need to go full-speed astern in order to go forward. If we see that we have begun wrongly, we must start all over. In personal life, this means repentance. In public life, it means protecting our freedoms and pushing back against the power of the “welfare state,” lest we be increasingly constrained in our ability to choose what we want to do and be.
This article is republished with permission from the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics. IFWE is a Christian research organization committed to advancing biblical and economic principles that help individuals find fulfillment in their work and contribute to a free and flourishing society. Click here to subscribe to the free IFWE Daily Blog.


thestream--2020-05-10--Mothers, Pray for Your Wayward Children. John Yeatts and Augustine Tell You Why

Last Wednesday marked the 31st anniversary of “ the last day of the rest of my life , ” he said .
The next day , “ God stepped into the world of this drunk , broken and desperate to die boy and pulled me out of a pit my own hands dug.
” Why did God rescue John Yeatts ?
Because his mother and his grandmother prayed for him .
John ’ s now the campus pastor for Life Outreach International .
He ’ s also national coordinator of Churches for Life .
His mother and grandmother “ never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the LORD , ” he wrote in a message to the LOI staff .
“ He honored their prayers and their faith to bring me life .
Thirty-one years later , I sit here as a reminder that the prayers of the righteous bring a great harvest .
The sincere faith of a mother and grandmother never goes unnoticed by God or their family .
In so many cases , it truly is the light that lit the path to our day of salvation.
” God heard their prayers .
But so did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and women like me remembering the cries and the tears coming through the walls for God to pardon our sins and heal our hearts , to rescue us from the darkness that held us.
” How great a witness of God ’ s love is one of His people giving themselves to pray for you ?
If they love you so much , that they weep because you don ’ t know Jesus , how much more must God love you ?
John ’ s not the only pastor who came to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Maybe the most famous praying mother in Christian history was a woman in 4th century north Africa named Monica .
Her husband wasn ’ t a believer .
In fact , the opposite .
He disliked her religion .
He was a government official with no time for that stuff .
Her one child wasn ’ t a believer either .
He was very , very smart .
He ran after all the day ’ s interesting philosophies and ideas .
Except his mother ’ s , of course .
But her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his room with his books .
He was one of those people who managed to live two lives at full speed .
He was also very wild .
Monica ’ s son enjoyed his wine , his women , and his songs .
An intellectual and a party animal .
He had it made .
Why would he give up all that to become a Christian ?
Monica wept a lot over his life .
Not just the partying either .
The running after false ideas too .
Both kept him from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empire , praying all the time .
And finally , after 17 years of praying for him , her son found Jesus .
And later so did her husband , after as many as 30 years of tears and prayers .
That son was named Augustine , better known nowadays as St. Augustine and one of Christianity ’ s most formative thinkers .
Both Catholic and Protestant theology descends from his .
His fingerprints can be seen on a lot we still think and do today .
He wrote the first real autobiography @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trinity helped deepen Christians ’ understanding of how God could be Three in One , which sounded batty to a lot of people .
His On Christian Doctrine was one of the first careful explanations of how to teach the faith .
Augustine wrote the first major work of Christian political philosophy .
We call it The City of God , but the real title is On the City of God Against the Pagans .
He worked out how Christians could be in the world but not of the world .
The Vandals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Christians needed to know how to live in a world falling apart .
( It ’ s a book suddenly even more relevant than it was . )
To get the whole story , read this article by Casey Chalk , who ’ s written for The Stream .
Or listen to this talk by Constance Hull .
She explains why “ We must trust that He is always at work and sometimes we need to get out of the way and allow the people He sends to help our loved ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you want to know how Monica died , with Augustine at her side .
Augustine wasn ’ t the only person blessed by Monica ’ s prayers .
Almost every Western Christian today benefits from what he wrote and did after he met Christ .
She did all that weeping and praying for him , but she also did it for us .
Not every mother who prays her wayward child to Christ will have a John Yeatts or an Augustine .
Sadly , not every mother who prays sees her child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alive .
The child can always say no .
But God is faithful and will give the child every good the child will take .
He tells us to pray and He will do the rest .
We just need to remember that prayers don ’ t work like magic .
We need to keep praying , as a duty and as a calling .
Maybe for 17 or even 30 years .
Faithfulness is everything .
Upset over her son ’ s continued waywardness , Monica went to her pastor for advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The pastor told his mother he wouldn ’ t talk to Augustine .
He was too conceited to listen .
“ Leave him alone , ” he said .
“ Simply pray for him to the Lord.
” He promised that her son would eventually see the truth .
But that didn ’ t make Monica feel better .
She begged for help .
“ Go away now , ” her pastor told her .
But he wasn ’ t blowing her off .
He recognized the power of prayer .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ It is inconceivable that he should perish , a son of tears like yours.
” David Mills is a senior editor of The Stream .
After teaching writing in a seminary , he has been editor of Touchstone and the executive editor of First Things .
He edits the site Hour of Our Death and writes the monthly “ Last Things ” column for the New Oxford Review .
He is finishing a book on death and dying to be published by Sophia Institute Press .

Last Wednesday marked the 31st anniversary of “the last day of the rest of my life,” he said. The next day, “God stepped into the world of this drunk, broken and desperate to die boy and pulled me out of a pit my own hands dug.”
Why did God rescue John Yeatts? Because his mother and his grandmother prayed for him.
God Notices
John’s now the campus pastor for Life Outreach International. He’s also national coordinator of Churches for Life. His mother and grandmother “never ceased to call out my name before the LORD,” he wrote in a message to the LOI staff.
“He honored their prayers and their faith to bring me life. Thirty-one years later, I sit here as a reminder that the prayers of the righteous bring a great harvest. The sincere faith of a mother and grandmother never goes unnoticed by God or their family. In so many cases, it truly is the light that lit the path to our day of salvation.”
God heard their prayers. But so did John. He thinks of “Men and women like me remembering the cries and the tears coming through the walls for God to pardon our sins and heal our hearts, to rescue us from the darkness that held us.” How great a witness of God’s love is one of His people giving themselves to pray for you? If they love you so much, that they weep because you don’t know Jesus, how much more must God love you?
John’s not the only pastor who came to know Jesus because his mother prayed for him. Maybe the most famous praying mother in Christian history was a woman in 4th century north Africa named Monica. Her husband wasn’t a believer. In fact, the opposite. He disliked her religion. He was a government official with no time for that stuff.
Her one child wasn’t a believer either. He was very, very smart. He ran after all the day’s interesting philosophies and ideas. Except his mother’s, of course. But her son wasn’t a nerd stuck in his room with his books. He was one of those people who managed to live two lives at full speed. He was also very wild. Monica’s son enjoyed his wine, his women, and his songs. An intellectual and a party animal. He had it made. Why would he give up all that to become a Christian?
Monica wept a lot over his life. Not just the partying either. The running after false ideas too. Both kept him from God. She followed him around the empire, praying all the time. And finally, after 17 years of praying for him, her son found Jesus. And later so did her husband, after as many as 30 years of tears and prayers.
The Formative Mind
That son was named Augustine, better known nowadays as St. Augustine and one of Christianity’s most formative thinkers. Both Catholic and Protestant theology descends from his. His fingerprints can be seen on a lot we still think and do today. He wrote the first real autobiography, the Confessions. His On the Trinity helped deepen Christians’ understanding of how God could be Three in One, which sounded batty to a lot of people. His On Christian Doctrine was one of the first careful explanations of how to teach the faith.
Augustine wrote the first major work of Christian political philosophy. We call it The City of God, but the real title is On the City of God Against the Pagans. He worked out how Christians could be in the world but not of the world. The Vandals had sacked Rome a few years before. Christians needed to know how to live in a world falling apart. (It’s a book suddenly even more relevant than it was.)
To get the whole story, read this article by Casey Chalk, who’s written for The Stream. Or listen to this talk by Constance Hull. She explains why “We must trust that He is always at work and sometimes we need to get out of the way and allow the people He sends to help our loved ones do His work.” Read this article if you want to know how Monica died, with Augustine at her side.
Augustine wasn’t the only person blessed by Monica’s prayers. Almost every Western Christian today benefits from what he wrote and did after he met Christ. She did all that weeping and praying for him, but she also did it for us.
Simply Pray
Not every mother who prays her wayward child to Christ will have a John Yeatts or an Augustine. Sadly, not every mother who prays sees her child come to Christ while she’s alive. The child can always say no. But God is faithful and will give the child every good the child will take. He tells us to pray and He will do the rest. We just need to remember that prayers don’t work like magic. We need to keep praying, as a duty and as a calling. Maybe for 17 or even 30 years.
Faithfulness is everything. Upset over her son’s continued waywardness, Monica went to her pastor for advice. Augustine himself tells us the story. The pastor told his mother he wouldn’t talk to Augustine. He was too conceited to listen. “Leave him alone,” he said. “Simply pray for him to the Lord.” He promised that her son would eventually see the truth.
But that didn’t make Monica feel better. She begged for help. “Go away now,” her pastor told her. But he wasn’t blowing her off. He recognized the power of prayer. “Hold on to this,” he said. “It is inconceivable that he should perish, a son of tears like yours.”
David Mills is a senior editor of The Stream. After teaching writing in a seminary, he has been editor of Touchstone and the executive editor of First Things. He edits the site Hour of Our Death and writes the monthly “Last Things” column for the New Oxford Review. He is finishing a book on death and dying to be published by Sophia Institute Press.


thestream--2020-05-10--Musk Rails Against ‘Ignorant’ California Health Officials, Vows to Move Tesla HQ to Texas

Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggested Saturday that he is suing a California county after “ unelected & ignorant ” health officials spoiled his plans to reopen over coronavirus concerns .
Musk criticized local California officials , saying that he is preparing to relocate to Texas or Nevada after Alameda County Public Health Department interim health officer Erica Pan said Friday that Tesla does not have the okay to reopen .
“ Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately , ” Musk wrote on Twitter before condemning the county ’ s “ unelected & ignorant ” health care officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Governor , the President , our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense !
” Alameda County , where Tesla ’ s headquarters are based , “ is still a bit stricter ” on when businesses can open up , Pan told reporters during an online town hall meeting .
“ We have not given the green light .
We have been working with them looking at some of their safety plans .
But no , we have not said that it is appropriate to move forward , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Musk was not impressed with Pan ’ s remarks .
“ Frankly , this is the final straw , ” he said in a following tweet .
“ Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately .
If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all , it will be dependen [ sic ] on how Tesla is treated in the future .
Tesla is the last carmaker left in CA.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not the first time the tech tycoon has lashed out at officials over the coronavirus pandemic .
Musk criticized government officials in April for instituting economic lockdowns , calling them “ fascist ” during an April first-quarter Tesla earnings call .
Stay-at-home orders were instituted throughout the country to slow the coronavirus pandemic , which has killed more than 75,000 people in the United States .
Musk said during the call that people should be allowed to quarantine themselves if they wish , but added : “ to say that they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be arrested if they do , this is fascist .
This is not democratic .
This is not freedom .
Give people back their goddamn freedom.
” Meanwhile , California ’ s economy is falling off a proverbial cliff .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s stay-at-home orders in March forced non-essential businesses to close , prompting millions of Californians to file for unemployment .
The Democrat ’ s administration is predicting that the state will hit 18 % unemployment after registering a 3.9 % unemployment rate at the start of 2020 @

Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggested Saturday that he is suing a California county after “unelected & ignorant” health officials spoiled his plans to reopen over coronavirus concerns.
Musk criticized local California officials, saying that he is preparing to relocate to Texas or Nevada after Alameda County Public Health Department interim health officer Erica Pan said Friday that Tesla does not have the okay to reopen.
“Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately,” Musk wrote on Twitter before condemning the county’s “unelected & ignorant” health care officials who he said are “acting contrary to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense!”
Frankly, this is the final straw. Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately. If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all, it will be dependen on how Tesla is treated in the future. Tesla is the last carmaker left in CA. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2020
Alameda County, where Tesla’s headquarters are based, “is still a bit stricter” on when businesses can open up, Pan told reporters during an online town hall meeting.
“We have not given the green light. We have been working with them looking at some of their safety plans. But no, we have not said that it is appropriate to move forward,” she said after being asked about Tesla in particular.
Musk was not impressed with Pan’s remarks.
“Frankly, this is the final straw,” he said in a following tweet. “Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately. If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all, it will be dependen [sic] on how Tesla is treated in the future. Tesla is the last carmaker left in CA.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
This is not the first time the tech tycoon has lashed out at officials over the coronavirus pandemic. Musk criticized government officials in April for instituting economic lockdowns, calling them “fascist” during an April first-quarter Tesla earnings call.
Stay-at-home orders were instituted throughout the country to slow the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 75,000 people in the United States.
Musk said during the call that people should be allowed to quarantine themselves if they wish, but added: “to say that they cannot leave their house, and they will be arrested if they do, this is fascist. This is not democratic. This is not freedom. Give people back their goddamn freedom.”
Meanwhile, California’s economy is falling off a proverbial cliff.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home orders in March forced non-essential businesses to close, prompting millions of Californians to file for unemployment. The Democrat’s administration is predicting that the state will hit 18% unemployment after registering a 3.9% unemployment rate at the start of 2020.
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