thestream--2020-12-18--Sidney Powell Lawsuit on Supreme Court Docket

The U.S. Supreme Court decided not to even hear the case brought by Texas about other states ’ unconstitutional handling of their elections and didn ’ t really explain why — “ standing , ” really ?
— but there ’ s another case , in Michigan , brought by Sidney Powell , that they ’ ve put on the docket .
This case was heard and dismissed by an Obama-appointed U.S. District Court judge as “ an amalgamation of theories , conjecture and speculation.
” Why would the Supreme Court decide to hear such a case ?
This one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machines , potentially affecting at least 200,000 votes in Michigan — what Powell has referred to as “ the Kraken.
” She wrote a letter to the Court alerting them to new evidence stemming from the audit done in Antrim County .
As the NOQ Report says , “ This audit shines a bright spotlight on what every contested state in the nation ( and technically every state , period ” ) should be addressing in a hurry , namely the technological side of 2020 election fraud.
” There ’ s Nothing Frivolous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see what SCOTUS does now .
This case doesn ’ t deal with constitutional challenges as the Texas case did .
Rather , it addresses hard evidence of blatant mail-in ballot tampering .
Amazingly , the city of Detroit is fighting back against Powell with a motion for a federal judge to sanction her and her team , ban them from practicing in the Eastern District in Michigan , and refer them to the state bar for grievance procedures .
They say she is “ frivolously undermining People ’ s faith in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our government.
” But this is retribution , pure and simple .
Would the Supreme Court hear a “ frivolous ” case ?
This sounds just like Democrats ’ accusations in the Senate Homeland Security hearings Wednesday .
( Those Democrat talking points have a way of getting around . )
I maintain that if anything undermines the people ’ s trust in our government , it ’ s Democrats trying to steamroll their way to Inauguration Day when many millions already do not trust the election results .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Detroit ’ s lawyer David Fink told Law & Crime .
“ The lawyers filing these frivolous cases must pay a price.
” His problem with Powell ’ s suit is that it “ raises doubts in the minds of millions of Americans about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.
” I hate to tell you , Mr. Fink , but it ’ s far too late to keep doubts from being raised .
In fact , what you ’ re doing to try to suppress the examination of this voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorneys have already been intimidating firms representing Trump to get them to abandon their cases ( which some did ) .
So this is more of the same .
Legal expert Jonathan Turley has condemned this intimidation before , which we reported .
Turley , a liberal , thinks “ it ’ s clear at this point ” that there was election fraud .
He would no doubt agree with Powell and Trump ’ s own attorneys that they need “ greater access to the system itself , ” which he said is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that requires a court to order that information to be turned over.
” Turley said the system set up to evaluate allegations of fraud should be allowed to move forward .
That is surely what Powell ’ s trying to achieve with her “ Kraken ” suit .
There ’ s nothing frivolous about it .
Michael Flynn , appearing Thursday on Newsmax , said Trump should appoint a special counsel “ immediately , ” seize the Dominion voting machines , and prioritize “ by state and probably by county ” the places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s gon na find exactly the same problem.
” Flynn does allege that “ there ’ s a foreign influence tied to this system ” and sees likely ties between Dominion and Smartmatic with China , Iran and Venezuela .
( Dominion has denied all this . )
Flynn said he doesn ’ t know what Trump will do .
“ The President has to plan for every eventuality , ” he said , “ because we can not allow … the integrity of our election to go the way it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totally unsatisfactory .
There is no way in the world that we ’ re going to be able to move forward as a nation with this.
” Flynn even mentioned the option of instituting martial law in certain areas while their votes are re-cast , noting that martial law has been imposed 64 times in our history .
( He said specifically that he ’ s not calling for that , but watch the left go crazy now ! )
Flynn is disappointed in the Supreme Court , particularly the Chief Justice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Constitution ” and the merits of these cases , only at procedure .
“ To me , that lacks courage .
It lacks moral fiber.
” He expects much more of the Republican Party as well .
As for the run-offs in Georgia , “ That ’ s a fake election .
You can ’ t have another election on the same system , ” he said .
( Of course , Georgia , it ’ s still critical to VOTE ! )
Powel Has to Bring It The motion against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet , because rules require that opposing counsel ( Powell ’ s team ) be granted a 21-day window to withdraw “ offending litigation.
” But news of it was tweeted out by — get ready — Perkins Coie attorney Marc Elias , who was the ( Clinton ) lawyer responsible for filing those lawsuits around the country that resulted in the loosening of rules .
( You remember Perkins Coie , of Fusion GPS and “ dossier ” fame . )
Elias is largely responsible for the mess we ’ re in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parker had dismissed Powell ’ s suit with a scathing rebuke , saying of the Michigan electorate , “ The people have spoken.
” Many thousands of people in Michigan would take issue with that .
I will say , though , that Powell really does need to have the goods with these suits .
Some of her witnesses have been brushed off as questionable .
Though she isn ’ t technically part of Trump ’ s legal team , every time one of her suits gets tossed , it ’ s easier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fraud and deny President Trump the opportunity for the full defense he ’ s entitled to , including an audit of the machines .
Powell has to bring it .
Still , Mr. Fink is wrong to assert that the key factual allegations from this lawsuit have been debunked .
The fact that some lawsuits based on these assertions have been dismissed by other courts does not mean they ’ ve been debunked .
The courts have simply found reasons not to take those cases up .
We saw for ourselves what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watchers ejected from the counting and windows covered with cardboard pizza boxes .
Detroit did plenty on its own to undermine trust in our elections .
I don ’ t have the technical expertise to know exactly what went on in Detroit with the voting machines , but I do know that Detroit ’ s lawsuit against Powell ’ s team is not about election integrity .
It ’ s about politics .
Conservative Brief has more on that .
As I ’ ve said , some of the allegations contained here are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s where you can read what the other side says .
Mike Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and longtime conservative commentator on issues in culture and current events .
A New York Times best-selling author , he hosts the weekly talk show Huckabee on TBN .

The U.S. Supreme Court decided not to even hear the case brought by Texas about other states’ unconstitutional handling of their elections and didn’t really explain why — “standing,” really? — but there’s another case, in Michigan, brought by Sidney Powell, that they’ve put on the docket.
This case was heard and dismissed by an Obama-appointed U.S. District Court judge as “an amalgamation of theories, conjecture and speculation.” Why would the Supreme Court decide to hear such a case?
This one involves the forensic audit of the Dominion machines, potentially affecting at least 200,000 votes in Michigan — what Powell has referred to as “the Kraken.” She wrote a letter to the Court alerting them to new evidence stemming from the audit done in Antrim County. As the NOQ Report says, “This audit shines a bright spotlight on what every contested state in the nation (and technically every state, period”) should be addressing in a hurry, namely the technological side of 2020 election fraud.”
(Note: Since the story I’ve linked to contains allegations of election fraud accomplished in part through Dominion Voting Systems, I’ll appease the “fact”-checkers by linking to one of their own at the end of this piece to include what Dominion has to say. Question to the “fact”-checkers: Why aren’t you more skeptical of what Dominion has to say? It’s not proof of anything.)
There’s Nothing Frivolous About It
It’ll be interesting to see what SCOTUS does now. This case doesn’t deal with constitutional challenges as the Texas case did. Rather, it addresses hard evidence of blatant mail-in ballot tampering.
Amazingly, the city of Detroit is fighting back against Powell with a motion for a federal judge to sanction her and her team, ban them from practicing in the Eastern District in Michigan, and refer them to the state bar for grievance procedures.
They say she is “frivolously undermining People’s faith in the democratic process and their trust in our government.” But this is retribution, pure and simple. Would the Supreme Court hear a “frivolous” case?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
This sounds just like Democrats’ accusations in the Senate Homeland Security hearings Wednesday. (Those Democrat talking points have a way of getting around.) I maintain that if anything undermines the people’s trust in our government, it’s Democrats trying to steamroll their way to Inauguration Day when many millions already do not trust the election results.
“It’s time for this nonsense to end,” Detroit’s lawyer David Fink told Law & Crime. “The lawyers filing these frivolous cases must pay a price.” His problem with Powell’s suit is that it “raises doubts in the minds of millions of Americans about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.” I hate to tell you, Mr. Fink, but it’s far too late to keep doubts from being raised. In fact, what you’re doing to try to suppress the examination of this voting process is raising doubts even further.
Attorneys have already been intimidating firms representing Trump to get them to abandon their cases (which some did). So this is more of the same. Legal expert Jonathan Turley has condemned this intimidation before, which we reported. Turley, a liberal, thinks “it’s clear at this point” that there was election fraud. He would no doubt agree with Powell and Trump’s own attorneys that they need “greater access to the system itself,” which he said is held “by election officials, and that requires a court to order that information to be turned over.”
Turley said the system set up to evaluate allegations of fraud should be allowed to move forward. That is surely what Powell’s trying to achieve with her “Kraken” suit. There’s nothing frivolous about it.
Flynn Weighs In
Michael Flynn, appearing Thursday on Newsmax, said Trump should appoint a special counsel “immediately,” seize the Dominion voting machines, and prioritize “by state and probably by county” the places to conduct audits, where “he’s gonna find exactly the same problem.” Flynn does allege that “there’s a foreign influence tied to this system” and sees likely ties between Dominion and Smartmatic with China, Iran and Venezuela. (Dominion has denied all this.)
Flynn said he doesn’t know what Trump will do. “The President has to plan for every eventuality,” he said, “because we cannot allow … the integrity of our election to go the way it is. I mean, this is just totally unsatisfactory. There is no way in the world that we’re going to be able to move forward as a nation with this.” Flynn even mentioned the option of instituting martial law in certain areas while their votes are re-cast, noting that martial law has been imposed 64 times in our history. (He said specifically that he’s not calling for that, but watch the left go crazy now!)
Flynn is disappointed in the Supreme Court, particularly the Chief Justice, for not looking at the “fabric of the Constitution” and the merits of these cases, only at procedure. “To me, that lacks courage. It lacks moral fiber.” He expects much more of the Republican Party as well. As for the run-offs in Georgia, “That’s a fake election. You can’t have another election on the same system,” he said. (Of course, Georgia, it’s still critical to VOTE!)
Powel Has to Bring It
The motion against Powell hasn’t actually been filed yet, because rules require that opposing counsel (Powell’s team) be granted a 21-day window to withdraw “offending litigation.” But news of it was tweeted out by — get ready — Perkins Coie attorney Marc Elias, who was the (Clinton) lawyer responsible for filing those lawsuits around the country that resulted in the loosening of rules. (You remember Perkins Coie, of Fusion GPS and “dossier” fame.) Elias is largely responsible for the mess we’re in now.
U.S. District Court Judge Linda Parker had dismissed Powell’s suit with a scathing rebuke, saying of the Michigan electorate, “The people have spoken.” Many thousands of people in Michigan would take issue with that.
I don’t have the technical expertise to know exactly what went on in Detroit with the voting machines, but I do know that Detroit’s lawsuit against Powell’s team is not about election integrity. It’s about politics.
I will say, though, that Powell really does need to have the goods with these suits. Some of her witnesses have been brushed off as questionable. Though she isn’t technically part of Trump’s legal team, every time one of her suits gets tossed, it’s easier for the other side to dismiss claims of fraud and deny President Trump the opportunity for the full defense he’s entitled to, including an audit of the machines. Powell has to bring it.
Still, Mr. Fink is wrong to assert that the key factual allegations from this lawsuit have been debunked. The fact that some lawsuits based on these assertions have been dismissed by other courts does not mean they’ve been debunked. The courts have simply found reasons not to take those cases up.
We saw for ourselves what went on in Detroit: Republican poll watchers ejected from the counting and windows covered with cardboard pizza boxes. Detroit did plenty on its own to undermine trust in our elections. I don’t have the technical expertise to know exactly what went on in Detroit with the voting machines, but I do know that Detroit’s lawsuit against Powell’s team is not about election integrity. It’s about politics.
Conservative Brief has more on that.
As I’ve said, some of the allegations contained here are currently in dispute, and here’s where you can read what the other side says.
Mike Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and longtime conservative commentator on issues in culture and current events. A New York Times best-selling author, he hosts the weekly talk show Huckabee on TBN.
Originally published at MikeHuckabee.com. Reprinted with permission.


thestream--2020-12-18--Sen. Romney’s Misguided Lament

Sen. Romney’s Misguided Lament

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney is grieving over , as CNN anchor Dana Bash put it , President Donald Trump ’ s “ very firm grip on the Republican Party.
” Bash asked Romney whether he fears the party won ’ t “ be able to overcome Trumpism in the near future.
” Romney didn ’ t object to Bash ’ s negative characterization of Trumpism .
He merely responded that he believes “ Trump will continue to have a substantial influence on the party ” and that those other than Trump who are rumored to be GOP presidential candidates in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of a populist approach.
” Romney concluded : “ I don ’ t think Trumpism is going away , but I hope that we can have disagreements over policy and a vision of our respective parties without continuing to promote a narrative which puts democracy itself in jeopardy .
And when you tell people that voting doesn ’ t work and that democracy can ’ t work because we don ’ t have legitimate elections , that is a very dangerous thing to be saying.
” Romney seems more comfortable breaking bread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He clearly believes Trump is an ill-mannered rogue , but his remarks also confirm that he objects to the current direction of his party .
Like other Trump critics , Romney calls Trumpism “ populist.
” He doubtlessly laments this trend .
A populist is defined as “ a person , especially a politician , who strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups.
” I admit that I used to associate “ populism ” with demagogic politicians who cynically appeal to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own political gain without really being interested in improving the plight of ordinary people .
But I don ’ t believe that pejorative connotation applies to Trump or his agenda .
The dictionary definition , however , does describe Trump — and his establishment nemeses .
From the time he announced his candidacy in 2016 , Trump has connected with ordinary Americans whose interests and wishes have been ignored by an elite Washington establishment , with its byzantine , unaccountable bureaucracy .
He sold himself as an outsider who would bring a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usual that would focus on getting things done despite the bureaucratic roadblocks installed by our entrenched ruling class .
Unlike former President Barack Obama and contrary to the media ’ s lies , Trump didn ’ t run roughshod over the Constitution to advance his agenda but brought a can-do businessman ’ s approach to the Oval Office and achieved an impressive list of accomplishments in his first term .
He did things previous politicians disingenuously promised to do , such as moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem , and took action that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered , such as implementing Operation Warp Speed to produce multiple COVID-19 vaccines with previously unthinkable alacrity .
Despite the haters ’ endless ridicule , he also pulled off a Middle East peace deal that is the secret envy of all establishment foreign policy “ experts ” who said it couldn ’ t be done .
None of these accomplishments or countless others are the work of a populist demagogue .
But they do redound to the benefit of the common man and all Americans — just as his pro-growth economic policies benefited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This was the work of the dictionary-described populist , not the type of populist soul mates Dana Bash and Mitt Romney have in mind .
We can expect no different from the liberal Bash , but Romney ’ s sanctimonious hypocrisy is getting older and older .
Like his liberal friends , with whom he is more in step than the grassroots Republicans who nominated him in 2012 , Romney believes that Trump ’ s election contests threaten democracy .
Nonsense .
Trump has challenged the election through his bully pulpit and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with millions of other Americans , he believes the election was stolen .
Unsuccessful court challenges don ’ t prove cheating didn ’ t occur , nor do repeated claims that there “ is no evidence.
” If the election was , in fact , stolen , I dare say that would , by definition , represent a far greater threat to democracy .
Why doesn ’ t Romney express concern over the inexplicable anomalies tainting this election and the unconstitutional changes in laws that obliterated the integrity of our ballots and paved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t he demand federal election reform to prohibit the relaxation of voting procedures ?
Why doesn ’ t he crusade against social media oligarchs who censor conservative speech in a way that truly threatens democracy ?
Why doesn ’ t he condemn liberal media bias against Trump and their lack of scrutiny of the failing Joe Biden ?
Why doesn ’ t he call for an investigation into Facebook ’ s Mark Zuckerberg for his having poured an obscene amount of money into this election ?
Why can ’ t he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distrust of the election ’ s legitimacy imperils the democratic process infinitely more than Trump ’ s rhetoric or legal challenges ?
We get nothing but crickets from Romney .
Trumpism is Here to Stay Romney ’ s unabashed hatred for Trump perhaps blinds him to the reality that Trump is a wildly popular president , notwithstanding that he is the object of hatred among those whose anti-American agenda he has thwarted .
Romney ’ s willful imperviousness to the extent of Trump ’ s appeal precludes him from recognizing that this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented cheating .
He can ’ t believe the election was stolen , because he refuses to believe Evil Orange Man could have won .
Lament all you want , Sen. Romney , because you are correct that Trumpism is here to stay , as his supporters appreciate and endorse his unapologetic pride in this country ; his resistance to the left ’ s destructive agenda , which itself is undemocratic in every sense ; and Trump ’ s agenda to literally make America great again .
David Limbaugh is a writer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Guilty by Reason of Insanity : Why the Democrats Must Not Win .
Follow him on Twitter @ davidlimbaugh and his website at www.davidlimbaugh.com .

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney is grieving over, as CNN anchor Dana Bash put it, President Donald Trump’s “very firm grip on the Republican Party.”
Bash asked Romney whether he fears the party won’t “be able to overcome Trumpism in the near future.” Romney didn’t object to Bash’s negative characterization of Trumpism. He merely responded that he believes “Trump will continue to have a substantial influence on the party” and that those other than Trump who are rumored to be GOP presidential candidates in 2024 “are trying to appeal to kind of a populist approach.”
Romney concluded: “I don’t think Trumpism is going away, but I hope that we can have disagreements over policy and a vision of our respective parties without continuing to promote a narrative which puts democracy itself in jeopardy. And when you tell people that voting doesn’t work and that democracy can’t work because we don’t have legitimate elections, that is a very dangerous thing to be saying.”
Romney seems more comfortable breaking bread with leftist CNN anchors than grassroots Republicans. He clearly believes Trump is an ill-mannered rogue, but his remarks also confirm that he objects to the current direction of his party.
Populist Trumpism?
Like other Trump critics, Romney calls Trumpism “populist.” He doubtlessly laments this trend. A populist is defined as “a person, especially a politician, who strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups.”
I admit that I used to associate “populism” with demagogic politicians who cynically appeal to the so-called common man to gain power for their own political gain without really being interested in improving the plight of ordinary people. But I don’t believe that pejorative connotation applies to Trump or his agenda. The dictionary definition, however, does describe Trump — and his establishment nemeses.
Trump Connected with Ordinary Americans
From the time he announced his candidacy in 2016, Trump has connected with ordinary Americans whose interests and wishes have been ignored by an elite Washington establishment, with its byzantine, unaccountable bureaucracy. He sold himself as an outsider who would bring a new, unorthodox approach to politics as usual that would focus on getting things done despite the bureaucratic roadblocks installed by our entrenched ruling class.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Unlike former President Barack Obama and contrary to the media’s lies, Trump didn’t run roughshod over the Constitution to advance his agenda but brought a can-do businessman’s approach to the Oval Office and achieved an impressive list of accomplishments in his first term. He did things previous politicians disingenuously promised to do, such as moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, and took action that previous politicians wouldn’t have even considered, such as implementing Operation Warp Speed to produce multiple COVID-19 vaccines with previously unthinkable alacrity. Despite the haters’ endless ridicule, he also pulled off a Middle East peace deal that is the secret envy of all establishment foreign policy “experts” who said it couldn’t be done.
None of these accomplishments or countless others are the work of a populist demagogue. But they do redound to the benefit of the common man and all Americans — just as his pro-growth economic policies benefited all income groups, especially minorities. This was the work of the dictionary-described populist, not the type of populist soul mates Dana Bash and Mitt Romney have in mind.
Romney’s Hypocrisy
We can expect no different from the liberal Bash, but Romney’s sanctimonious hypocrisy is getting older and older. Like his liberal friends, with whom he is more in step than the grassroots Republicans who nominated him in 2012, Romney believes that Trump’s election contests threaten democracy.
Nonsense. Trump has challenged the election through his bully pulpit and in courtrooms across the land because, along with millions of other Americans, he believes the election was stolen. Unsuccessful court challenges don’t prove cheating didn’t occur, nor do repeated claims that there “is no evidence.” If the election was, in fact, stolen, I dare say that would, by definition, represent a far greater threat to democracy.
Nothing But Crickets
Why doesn’t Romney express concern over the inexplicable anomalies tainting this election and the unconstitutional changes in laws that obliterated the integrity of our ballots and paved the way for widespread cheating? Why doesn’t he demand federal election reform to prohibit the relaxation of voting procedures? Why doesn’t he crusade against social media oligarchs who censor conservative speech in a way that truly threatens democracy?
Why doesn’t he condemn liberal media bias against Trump and their lack of scrutiny of the failing Joe Biden? Why doesn’t he call for an investigation into Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg for his having poured an obscene amount of money into this election? Why can’t he grasp that the public’s genuine distrust of the election’s legitimacy imperils the democratic process infinitely more than Trump’s rhetoric or legal challenges? We get nothing but crickets from Romney.
Trumpism is Here to Stay
Romney’s unabashed hatred for Trump perhaps blinds him to the reality that Trump is a wildly popular president, notwithstanding that he is the object of hatred among those whose anti-American agenda he has thwarted. Romney’s willful imperviousness to the extent of Trump’s appeal precludes him from recognizing that this year, we had a perfect storm for unprecedented cheating. He can’t believe the election was stolen, because he refuses to believe Evil Orange Man could have won.
Lament all you want, Sen. Romney, because you are correct that Trumpism is here to stay, as his supporters appreciate and endorse his unapologetic pride in this country; his resistance to the left’s destructive agenda, which itself is undemocratic in every sense; and Trump’s agenda to literally make America great again.
David Limbaugh is a writer, author and attorney. His latest book is Guilty by Reason of Insanity: Why the Democrats Must Not Win. Follow him on Twitter @davidlimbaugh and his website at www.davidlimbaugh.com.
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thestream--2020-12-18--How the Ancient Maccabees Speak to Us Today

The Feast of Dedication , better known as Hanukkah , was just celebrated by Jews around the world , commemorating events that took place more than 2,100 years ago .
But the lessons of Hanukkah are quite relevant to our times today .
According to the Jewish History website , “ In the wake of Alexander ’ s appearance in and departure from Jerusalem [ in the 330 ’ s BCE ] , relations between Jews and Greeks were so good that an exchange of cultures took place .
Each influenced the other .
For the Jewish minority , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of assimilation — such as giving children Greek names and speaking the Greek language — became a surprisingly powerful , high-speed rip current threatening to drag the caught-off-guard Jews out to the sea of complete assimilation.
” A similar pattern has repeated itself throughout history .
The world around us is so beautiful and sparkly .
It is so appealing , so wise , so ascendant .
Why can ’ t we be just like the world ?
Why must we be so different ?
So , in small , subtle ways , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the age , in our educational system , in our entertainment , in the ways we dress and live and speak .
Soon enough , we have lost the fear of God , our morals have been compromised , and our kids have no connection to the values of past generations .
Seduced by the Culture… Until They Felt Forced The website continues , “ Jews who embraced Greek culture at the expense of Judaism became known as Misyavnim , or Hellenists .
Estimates are that a third or more of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who reversed their circumcision , ate pork , bowed to idols and even became self-hating enough to side with the enemies of Israel .
Hellenism threatened to annihilate the Jewish world through assimilation in ways tyrants tried but could not do by force.
” Had the Jewish people been ordered to apostasize , had they been commanded by ruthless tyrants to forsake the faith of their fathers , they likely would have resisted .
Instead , they were seduced by the “ enlightened ” culture , by the lust of the flesh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pride of life ( see 1 John 2:15-17 ) .
As for Jewish men who had reverse circumcision operations ( literally ) , they did this to fit in with the crowd .
After all , with major athletic competitions conducted in the nude , to be circumcised was to be an outsider .
At all costs , they had to fit .
Indeed , “ Had the situation continued as it was , the Greeks would perhaps have won the battle by default .
However , they overstepped themselves.
” The same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The left is going too far .
Beginning in the 190s BCE , when factions in Alexander ’ s kingdom were at war with another , the Jewish people were caught in the middle .
Now their outlook began to change .
That ’ s because , “ Whenever a foreign army comes into a country it changes the view of the populace .
Instead of an attractive culture , the Greeks were now an occupying enemy .
Instead of something to be imitated , now they became something to be resisted.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in America today as the left becomes more and more authoritarian .
You conform , or else .
You fall into line , or else .
The cancel culture is here .
Mob rule is here .
Our very freedoms are under attack .
Suddenly , more and more Americans are waking up and more and more believers are standing up .
Once again , our ideological opponents have overplayed their hand , and we are becoming “ stubborn the other way.
” At What Point Do We Choose to Risk Our Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , “ The Greek army exerted a very heavy hand against the Jews .
First , they forced Jews to finance their war through collection of taxes .
Then they forced them to quarter their soldiers in Jewish homes .
Finally , the Greeks were determined to crush the Jewish religion .
“ First , they took the statue of Zeus and mounted it in the courtyard of the Temple .
Next , the Greeks banned the observance of the Sabbath on the pain of death .
Then , the Talmud ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a period of time which lasted a number of decades when the Greek officer in town had the right to ‘ live ’ with a woman on her wedding night before her husband-to-be .
“ The Greeks also banned circumcision .
Whoever circumcised his child was put to death ; both child and father were killed .
Then the Greeks demanded that altars to the Greek idols be established and that sacrifices be offered on a regular basis in every Jewish town .
Finally , the Jewish educational system was entirely interrupted.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question .
How much is too much ?
At what point do people say , “ I would rather die fighting for freedom than live in humiliation and slavery ?
” This was the turning point for the Jewish people in the second century BCE .
You can read the rest of the story on the Jewish History site .
Suffice it to say here that there was one particular straw that broke the camel ’ s back .
Then the uprising began .
Many of the courageous freedom fighters lost their lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was liberated , and their Temple , which had been grossly defiled by the Antiochus Epiphanes , was rededicated .
It is the rededication of the Temple that we celebrate during Hanukkah , lighting candles to remember each of the eight nights that one cruse of oil continued to burn in the Temple lampstand , an obvious miracle from God .
He himself had been the force that moved His people to liberty .
Believers today in America face a similar situation , albeit one that is not nearly as severe as that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain free people in our own land , and we are not yet under foreign occupation .
( Even if foreign governments are having undue influence in our country , it can not be compared to the situation faced by the Jews under the Greeks . )
And yet : The pressure to assimilate and conform is everywhere .
The desire to fit in and be accepted by the world ( “ woke ” ! )
is intense .
The cost of fighting back becomes more acute by the hour .
And our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now is the Time Now is the time for us to rise up with holy stubbornness , not by taking a sword to our political and cultural opponents , but by taking a stand .
Now is the time to push back against every attempt to dominate our lives , again , not with violent uprisings but by counterculture living , putting into practice the timeless practices of Scripture .
Now is the time to break the fear of man and renounce the grip of this age , determining to lose our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( in the words of Jesus ) .
This means parents standing up in their school systems and young people standing up on social media .
This means employees pushing back in the workplace and influencers using their influence for good , realizing that if we don ’ t use our rights we will soon lose them .
This means making our money talk .
We don ’ t need to yell and scream .
We don ’ t need to resort to vulgarity and profanity .
We don ’ t need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply need to do the right thing , regardless of cost or consequence .
Let future generations read about the courage of our generation , a generation that refused to compromise or bow the knee .
It ’ s time to take our stand .
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads : Will We Pass the Trump Test ?
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

The Feast of Dedication, better known as Hanukkah, was just celebrated by Jews around the world, commemorating events that took place more than 2,100 years ago. But the lessons of Hanukkah are quite relevant to our times today.
According to the Jewish History website, “In the wake of Alexander’s appearance in and departure from Jerusalem [in the 330’s BCE], relations between Jews and Greeks were so good that an exchange of cultures took place. Each influenced the other. For the Jewish minority, however, what began as a small undertow of assimilation — such as giving children Greek names and speaking the Greek language — became a surprisingly powerful, high-speed rip current threatening to drag the caught-off-guard Jews out to the sea of complete assimilation.”
A similar pattern has repeated itself throughout history. The world around us is so beautiful and sparkly. It is so appealing, so wise, so ascendant. Why can’t we be just like the world? Why must we be so different?
So, in small, subtle ways, we begin to take on the spirit of the age, in our educational system, in our entertainment, in the ways we dress and live and speak.
Soon enough, we have lost the fear of God, our morals have been compromised, and our kids have no connection to the values of past generations.
Sound familiar?
Seduced by the Culture… Until They Felt Forced
The website continues, “Jews who embraced Greek culture at the expense of Judaism became known as Misyavnim, or Hellenists. Estimates are that a third or more of the Jewish population was Hellenist, including those who reversed their circumcision, ate pork, bowed to idols and even became self-hating enough to side with the enemies of Israel. Hellenism threatened to annihilate the Jewish world through assimilation in ways tyrants tried but could not do by force.”
Had the Jewish people been ordered to apostasize, had they been commanded by ruthless tyrants to forsake the faith of their fathers, they likely would have resisted. Instead, they were seduced by the “enlightened” culture, by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (see 1 John 2:15-17).
There was one particular straw that broke the camel’s back. Then the uprising began.
As for Jewish men who had reverse circumcision operations (literally), they did this to fit in with the crowd. After all, with major athletic competitions conducted in the nude, to be circumcised was to be an outsider. At all costs, they had to fit.
Indeed, “Had the situation continued as it was, the Greeks would perhaps have won the battle by default. However, they overstepped themselves.”
The same thing is happening in our day. The left is going too far.
“Stubborn the Other Way”
Beginning in the 190s BCE, when factions in Alexander’s kingdom were at war with another, the Jewish people were caught in the middle. Now their outlook began to change. That’s because, “Whenever a foreign army comes into a country it changes the view of the populace. Instead of an attractive culture, the Greeks were now an occupying enemy. Instead of something to be imitated, now they became something to be resisted.” But:
the Jewish people are very stubborn. The same person who is so stubborn that he will not observe the Torah in freedom will observe it with passion if forbidden from observing it. He becomes stubborn the other way. A good case could be made that if the Communists in Russia would have left the Jews alone they would have completely assimilated. However, once told that they could not be Jewish a certain percentage of Jews decided to be Jewish at great risk. That happened with the Greeks as well.
This is what is happening in America today as the left becomes more and more authoritarian. You conform, or else. You fall into line, or else. The cancel culture is here. Mob rule is here. Our very freedoms are under attack.
Suddenly, more and more Americans are waking up and more and more believers are standing up.
Once again, our ideological opponents have overplayed their hand, and we are becoming “stubborn the other way.”
At What Point Do We Choose to Risk Our Lives for Freedom?
In the ancient Jewish world, “The Greek army exerted a very heavy hand against the Jews. First, they forced Jews to finance their war through collection of taxes. Then they forced them to quarter their soldiers in Jewish homes. Finally, the Greeks were determined to crush the Jewish religion.
“First, they took the statue of Zeus and mounted it in the courtyard of the Temple. Next, the Greeks banned the observance of the Sabbath on the pain of death. Then, the Talmud (Kesubos 3b) records, there was a period of time which lasted a number of decades when the Greek officer in town had the right to ‘live’ with a woman on her wedding night before her husband-to-be.
“The Greeks also banned circumcision. Whoever circumcised his child was put to death; both child and father were killed. Then the Greeks demanded that altars to the Greek idols be established and that sacrifices be offered on a regular basis in every Jewish town. Finally, the Jewish educational system was entirely interrupted.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
This, of course, begs the question. How much is too much? At what point do people say, “I would rather die fighting for freedom than live in humiliation and slavery?” This was the turning point for the Jewish people in the second century BCE.
You can read the rest of the story on the Jewish History site. Suffice it to say here that there was one particular straw that broke the camel’s back. Then the uprising began.
Many of the courageous freedom fighters lost their lives in the process, but their nation was liberated, and their Temple, which had been grossly defiled by the Antiochus Epiphanes, was rededicated.
It is the rededication of the Temple that we celebrate during Hanukkah, lighting candles to remember each of the eight nights that one cruse of oil continued to burn in the Temple lampstand, an obvious miracle from God. He himself had been the force that moved His people to liberty.
We See a Similar Pattern Today
Believers today in America face a similar situation, albeit one that is not nearly as severe as that faced by the ancient Jews. We remain free people in our own land, and we are not yet under foreign occupation. (Even if foreign governments are having undue influence in our country, it cannot be compared to the situation faced by the Jews under the Greeks.) And yet:
The pressure to assimilate and conform is everywhere.
The desire to fit in and be accepted by the world (“woke”!) is intense.
The cost of fighting back becomes more acute by the hour.
And our most essential freedoms are under genuine attack.
Now is the Time
Now is the time for us to rise up with holy stubbornness, not by taking a sword to our political and cultural opponents, but by taking a stand.
Now is the time to push back against every attempt to dominate our lives, again, not with violent uprisings but by counterculture living, putting into practice the timeless practices of Scripture.
Now is the time to break the fear of man and renounce the grip of this age, determining to lose our lives that we can save our lives (in the words of Jesus).
This means parents standing up in their school systems and young people standing up on social media.
This means employees pushing back in the workplace and influencers using their influence for good, realizing that if we don’t use our rights we will soon lose them. This means making our money talk.
We don’t need to yell and scream. We don’t need to resort to vulgarity and profanity. We don’t need to raise our fists and threaten.
We simply need to do the right thing, regardless of cost or consequence.
Let future generations read about the courage of our generation, a generation that refused to compromise or bow the knee. It’s time to take our stand.
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test? Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-12-18--America Lost: New Documentary Puts a Face to Poverty in America

“ I just wanted an opportunity to really dive in and learn more and try to … put a real human face to some of the social and political problems that I had essentially read about , ” said filmmaker Chris Rufo about his new film America Lost , a documentary on poverty in the U.S .
He “ wanted to actually get a sense of real life experience on the ground.
” Rufo ’ s goal initially was to focus on the social , political and economic problems in three cities .
As time went on , his focus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Once I turned that corner , thinking of the film as less than an economic piece or public policy piece , but more as a human story , that really became the core of it.
” He wanted to show human moments — everything from death to birth to love to murder to family to imprisonment .
He wanted to bring those themes to the surface .
“ I thought that was a kind of unique window that I could provide.
” The greatest challenge to impoverished communities is “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The great irony is that these communities have dollars .
They have material things , although it ’ s not like those who are affluent in America .
Rufo said the paradox is that in an environment of material things , “ there ’ s really been a kind of shredding of social institutions.
” An employer might bring back a factory to one of these communities , but “ you ’ re not going to bring about a revival of the social institutions , ” in that community .
“ That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of ways , that we need to address.
” Rufo highlighted the different reasons for poverty and how poverty affects race indiscriminately .
He wanted to “ show that the challenges facing these communities transcend geography , they transcend race .
And actually , increasingly in the United States , it ’ s becoming that … poor people of all racial backgrounds , of all geographic locations are facing a similar set of challenges.
” As an example , Rufo said he has more in common with an Asian or black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than he does with people of his own race who are poor and live in one of the cities in his film .
The racial divisions that have dominated our narrative this year “ are really only part of the story.
” “ They ’ re really kind of superficial in a lot of ways and don ’ t actually get to the heart of some of those [ impoverished ] complexities that I think I outlined in the film.
” Rufo was surprised that , while filming , he discovered that faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He didn ’ t make the film thinking about highlighting faith organizations or religious organizations .
“ As a documentary filmmaker you respond to what you see .
You throw out your assumptions as reality hits you.
” As he questioned what was happening , he realized that “ the only bright spot , frankly , the only sustained bright spot ” that he saw in all three cities that he filmed was that Christian organizations and churches were the only successful , stable , durable institutions that offered people a path @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , This came out of the morally black and white foundation of a wrong and right way to live a life , Rufo explained .
People survive and thrive in communities with the idea of moral authority .
“ You ’ re not supposed to say it in our culture , ” he continued .
“ You ’ re not supposed to say this is ‘ right ’ and ‘ wrong . '
” He even had people on his team that pushed back on the idea of highlighting faith .
He found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to keep faith “ in its box and not even legitimize the public role of faith .
I think that ’ s a huge mistake.
” Rufo would like to see people who don ’ t have upward mobility still have a dignified life .
“ Again , you ’ re not supposed to say that .
… But mobility without dignity is really a disastrous combination .
I think we really need to think about that in different terms if we ’ re going to actually be serious about life in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within — not from top-down policies .
“ We ’ ve tried public policy , right , to solve these problems , ” Rufo explained .
“ And yet , in this kind of fog of America ’ s poorest places , it really feels like quality of life has plummeted .
You can even see it in these communities .
… Why did the conventional solutions fail to work ?
” He pointed out that the U.S. has spent trillions of dollars on the war on poverty , but he can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t provide a kind of life that “ we want to offer to people , to citizens , to Americans.
” The takeaway from the documentary will be different for different people .
Rufo wants people in poor communities to feel recognition , that they are heard and seen .
For the television audience , he wants them to question why the U.S. has spent trillions of dollars on impoverished areas but poverty is the same as it was 50 years ago .
Conservatives , said Rufo , have the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the relationships they need to make a difference .
He hopes the film will serve as an invitation to take the poor and poor communities seriously .
People can help .
“ Get involved , ” said Rufo .
Don ’ t rely on “ the god of policy to come down and solve the problem.
” He said relationships with those in poor communities is key .
Rufo made connections and relationships with those he filmed .
He didn ’ t change the world , but he does believe he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I did serve as a resource for people in a lot of different ways , ” he explained .
“ So I think relationship is the answer.
” “ Repair of this social fabric has to be done through relationships.
” The film may be accessed for free at AmericaLostFilm.com/premiere .
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

“I just wanted an opportunity to really dive in and learn more and try to … put a real human face to some of the social and political problems that I had essentially read about,” said filmmaker Chris Rufo about his new film America Lost, a documentary on poverty in the U.S. He “wanted to actually get a sense of real life experience on the ground.”
Rufo’s goal initially was to focus on the social, political and economic problems in three cities. As time went on, his focus changed to tell the “human story.”
“Once I turned that corner, thinking of the film as less than an economic piece or public policy piece, but more as a human story, that really became the core of it.” He wanted to show human moments — everything from death to birth to love to murder to family to imprisonment. He wanted to bring those themes to the surface. “I thought that was a kind of unique window that I could provide.”
The Greatest Challenge
The greatest challenge to impoverished communities is “the shredded social fabric,” said Rufo. The great irony is that these communities have dollars. They have material things, although it’s not like those who are affluent in America. Rufo said the paradox is that in an environment of material things, “there’s really been a kind of shredding of social institutions.” An employer might bring back a factory to one of these communities, but “you’re not going to bring about a revival of the social institutions,” in that community. “That’s really the harder question in a lot of ways, that we need to address.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Rufo highlighted the different reasons for poverty and how poverty affects race indiscriminately. He wanted to “show that the challenges facing these communities transcend geography, they transcend race. And actually, increasingly in the United States, it’s becoming that … poor people of all racial backgrounds, of all geographic locations are facing a similar set of challenges.”
As an example, Rufo said he has more in common with an Asian or black person with a college degree in Seattle than he does with people of his own race who are poor and live in one of the cities in his film. The racial divisions that have dominated our narrative this year “are really only part of the story.”
“They’re really kind of superficial in a lot of ways and don’t actually get to the heart of some of those [impoverished] complexities that I think I outlined in the film.”
Faith is Important in Impoverished Communities
Rufo was surprised that, while filming, he discovered that faith was very important in those poor communities. He didn’t make the film thinking about highlighting faith organizations or religious organizations. “As a documentary filmmaker you respond to what you see. You throw out your assumptions as reality hits you.” As he questioned what was happening, he realized that “the only bright spot, frankly, the only sustained bright spot” that he saw in all three cities that he filmed was that Christian organizations and churches were the only successful, stable, durable institutions that offered people a path to a better life. He added,
What I mean by that is they were the best prison reentry programs. They were the best drug rehabilitation programs. They were the best family reunification programs. They were the best fatherhood programs. They were the best kind of mechanisms … for [addressing] some of those individual and social problems and bringing people a kind of possibility of something better.
This came out of the morally black and white foundation of a wrong and right way to live a life, Rufo explained. People survive and thrive in communities with the idea of moral authority. “You’re not supposed to say it in our culture,” he continued. “You’re not supposed to say this is ‘right’ and ‘wrong.'”
He even had people on his team that pushed back on the idea of highlighting faith. He found that people on either side of faith want to keep faith “in its box and not even legitimize the public role of faith. I think that’s a huge mistake.”
A Dignified Life
Rufo would like to see people who don’t have upward mobility still have a dignified life. “Again, you’re not supposed to say that. … But mobility without dignity is really a disastrous combination. I think we really need to think about that in different terms if we’re going to actually be serious about life in these places.”
The solution is from within — not from top-down policies. “We’ve tried public policy, right, to solve these problems,” Rufo explained. “And yet, in this kind of fog of America’s poorest places, it really feels like quality of life has plummeted. You can even see it in these communities. … Why did the conventional solutions fail to work?” He pointed out that the U.S. has spent trillions of dollars on the war on poverty, but he can’t see a difference. Material wealth doesn’t provide a kind of life that “we want to offer to people, to citizens, to Americans.”
The Takeaway
The takeaway from the documentary will be different for different people. Rufo wants people in poor communities to feel recognition, that they are heard and seen. For the television audience, he wants them to question why the U.S. has spent trillions of dollars on impoverished areas but poverty is the same as it was 50 years ago. Conservatives, said Rufo, have the right kind of policies but don’t have the relationships they need to make a difference. He hopes the film will serve as an invitation to take the poor and poor communities seriously.
People can help. “Get involved,” said Rufo. Don’t rely on “the god of policy to come down and solve the problem.” He said relationships with those in poor communities is key. Rufo made connections and relationships with those he filmed. He didn’t change the world, but he does believe he was a positive influence. “I think I did serve as a resource for people in a lot of different ways,” he explained. “So I think relationship is the answer.”
“Repair of this social fabric has to be done through relationships.”
Watch the interview with Chris Rufo:
Watch the trailer for America Lost:
The film may be accessed for free at AmericaLostFilm.com/premiere.
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-12-18--How Can Christians Join the Fight for Life? Randy Robison Interviews Steve Karlen on New Book: This

How Can Christians Join the Fight for Life? Randy Robison Interviews Steve Karlen on New Book: This is When We Begin to Fight

Steve Karlen , campaign director of 40 Days for Life , spoke on Wednesday with Randy Robison , host of LifeToday Live .
They discussed his new book : This Is When We Begin to Fight : A Family ’ s Battle Against Late-Term Abortion , Academia and Miscarriage at Home .
Today Karlen helps lead an organization in 63 countries aiming to end abortion .
Believers pray outside abortion facilities in all-day vigils .
But he hasn ’ t always been active in the pro-life movement .
Karlen said he started out as a passive pro-lifer who didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end abortion besides voting .
Then his wife ’ s coworker became unexpectedly pregnant and they sought to help her .
The reality of abortion had suddenly became more personal .
In the book he discusses how he soon found himself leading an advocacy effort against his alma mater .
The University of Wisconsin had secret plans to open a late-term abortion facility .
The University halted its plans and credited Karlen , he said .
Karlen and Robison discussed the various aspects of and approaches to pro-life advocacy .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Robison said Christians must pursue grace and truth , with grace coming first .
Karlen emphasized having conversations with “ an understanding of goodwill.
” But arguing a point isn ’ t the first step when seeking to help women in difficult pregnancies .
Karlen said the offer of support persuades many women to choose life .
The realization that abortion is wrong comes later .
Still , Christians should understand pro-life arguments .
Dehumanizing preborn children doesn ’ t make sense .
“ I don ’ t think there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you suddenly gain the rights associated with personhood.
” Karlen said humans have a long history of dehumanizing each other , such as through slavery and America ’ s history of abusing Native Americans .
Abortion , he said , is one more instance of dehumanization .
The Leading Cause of Death in the World Has Affected Many Karlen also highlighted the prevalence of abortion .
“ Abortion right now in our world is the leading cause of death .
In fact , more lives [ are ] lost to abortion annually in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of death combined.
” Robison and Karlen discussed how that statistic was sourced .
Karlen said it ’ s hard to estimate exactly how many abortions there are .
He said globally between 42 and 56 million lives are lost to abortion annually .
The statistics for all other causes of death are easier to gather : about 42 million lives lost annually .
One important aspect of grace is realizing that the people you speak to about abortion may have been personally impacted by it , Karlen said .
The Church should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through Jesus to those who have chosen or been involved with abortion .
Karlen said many 40 Days for Life leaders over the years have had personal abortion experience .
“ Oftentimes it ’ s between a quarter of our leaders and a third who have had an abortion in their past .
And they ’ ve found healing and are looking to bring it to others.
” Robison asked Karlen how Christians can get more involved in the pro-life movement .
Karlen emphasized being involved on a local level .
This includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a difficult pregnancy , offering help outside abortion clinics such as through 40 Days for Life , supporting local pregnancy centers and adoption centers , and having conversations about abortion with grace and truth .
“ In many cases it ’ s simply people don ’ t know the true reality .
They don ’ t know what abortion is .
They don ’ t know the facts about fetal development , how abortion works , that it ’ s as prevalent as it is .
And I think it was Reagan that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starts around the dinner table.
” Aliya Kuykendall is a staff writer and proofreader for The Stream .
You can follow Aliya on Twitter @ AliyaKuykendall and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

Steve Karlen, campaign director of 40 Days for Life, spoke on Wednesday with Randy Robison, host of LifeToday Live. They discussed his new book: This Is When We Begin to Fight: A Family’s Battle Against Late-Term Abortion, Academia and Miscarriage at Home.
Today Karlen helps lead an organization in 63 countries aiming to end abortion. Believers pray outside abortion facilities in all-day vigils. But he hasn’t always been active in the pro-life movement.
Karlen said he started out as a passive pro-lifer who didn’t know what to do to help end abortion besides voting. Then his wife’s coworker became unexpectedly pregnant and they sought to help her. The reality of abortion had suddenly became more personal.
In the book he discusses how he soon found himself leading an advocacy effort against his alma mater. The University of Wisconsin had secret plans to open a late-term abortion facility. The University halted its plans and credited Karlen, he said.
Conversations Marked by Grace and Truth
Karlen and Robison discussed the various aspects of and approaches to pro-life advocacy. It’s important to have conversations about abortion. But Robison said Christians must pursue grace and truth, with grace coming first. Karlen emphasized having conversations with “an understanding of goodwill.”
But arguing a point isn’t the first step when seeking to help women in difficult pregnancies. Karlen said the offer of support persuades many women to choose life. The realization that abortion is wrong comes later.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Still, Christians should understand pro-life arguments. Dehumanizing preborn children doesn’t make sense. “I don’t think there’s anything magical about that birth canal that you suddenly gain the rights associated with personhood.” Karlen said humans have a long history of dehumanizing each other, such as through slavery and America’s history of abusing Native Americans. Abortion, he said, is one more instance of dehumanization.
The Leading Cause of Death in the World Has Affected Many
Karlen also highlighted the prevalence of abortion. “Abortion right now in our world is the leading cause of death. In fact, more lives [are] lost to abortion annually in our world than by all other causes of death combined.” Robison and Karlen discussed how that statistic was sourced. Karlen said it’s hard to estimate exactly how many abortions there are. He said globally between 42 and 56 million lives are lost to abortion annually. The statistics for all other causes of death are easier to gather: about 42 million lives lost annually.
One important aspect of grace is realizing that the people you speak to about abortion may have been personally impacted by it, Karlen said. The Church should discuss abortion and offer grace and forgiveness through Jesus to those who have chosen or been involved with abortion. Karlen said many 40 Days for Life leaders over the years have had personal abortion experience. “Oftentimes it’s between a quarter of our leaders and a third who have had an abortion in their past. And they’ve found healing and are looking to bring it to others.”
Ways to Get Involved
Robison asked Karlen how Christians can get more involved in the pro-life movement. Karlen emphasized being involved on a local level. This includes offering help to women who are experiencing a difficult pregnancy, offering help outside abortion clinics such as through 40 Days for Life, supporting local pregnancy centers and adoption centers, and having conversations about abortion with grace and truth. “In many cases it’s simply people don’t know the true reality. They don’t know what abortion is. They don’t know the facts about fetal development, how abortion works, that it’s as prevalent as it is. And I think it was Reagan that said that all meaningful change in America starts around the dinner table.”
Aliya Kuykendall is a staff writer and proofreader for The Stream. You can follow Aliya on Twitter @AliyaKuykendall and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-12-18--What Does BlackRock’s Prominence in the Biden Administration Mean for Investors?

Last week , President-Elect Biden tapped two prominent individuals at the world ’ s largest money-management firm for key positions within the new administration ’ s economic team .
Brian Deese , a BlackRock managing director who is responsible for overseeing the sustainable investment strategy of the firm , has been named as the new head of the National Economic Council .
Wally Adeyemo , who served as a senior advisor at BlackRock and was Chief of Staff to CEO Larry Fink , has been nominated for U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury .
Staffing is policy as the D.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be a disappointment to some elements of the Democratic Party .
However , what is most troublesome is the involvement of these two nominees in BlackRock ’ s recent efforts to push sustainability and environmentally focused investment priorities over solid returns and a fiduciary obligation to their customers .
Earlier this year Larry Fink announced that the firm would begin to reshape their entire investment approach , accounting for climate risk when making decisions regarding capital allocation and investment priorities , and taking such steps as divesting entirely from the coal sector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose to divest from entire industries within the U.S. market based not on underlying company performance , but due to political pressure .
Such a trend is nothing new — from defense manufacturers , to tobacco companies , to the energy companies of today , some industries will always be a target for activism .
However , such a move flies in the face of the free-market values that our country and our economy were based on .
If a certain sector is deemed problematic , the impetus is on lawmakers to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sector .
I was heartened to see that this week , the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ( OCC ) put forward a new regulation re-emphasizing this principle , codifying the standard that banks and investors must lend based only on creditworthiness without regard to political or other forms of pressure .
Unfortunately , with BlackRock , the train appears to have already left the station .
Given the swell in public pressure for green initiatives in the private sector , BlackRock ’ s transition shouldn ’ t come as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to consider the full story behind their motives .
In a report earlier this year from the Institute for Pension Fund Integrity , for which I sit on the advisory board , a closer look was given to the consequences that BlackRock ’ s move in this direction will have on investments .
It is worth noting upfront the financial incentives that BlackRock has with such actions .
In recent years , index investing has become more and more competitive , which has cut down on returns .
Most Environmental , Social , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the benchmark for “ sustainability ” in modern investment ( despite the ambiguity in the term itself ) , contain much higher fees than passive funds .
For example , BlackRock ’ s iShares Global Clean Energy ETF , one of the largest ESG funds in the world , carries an expense ratio over ten times large as the expense ratio for BlackRock ’ s S & P 500 ETF .
With these types of financial incentives , in addition to the large number of new customers that will likely be enticed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such a move becomes more and more clear .
Worse yet , definitions of what is or is not ESG often make little sense .
Take for example nuclear energy .
Under BlackRock ’ s definition of ESG , the greatest source of carbon free electricity generation in the U.S. , is deemed unworthy .
If the purported goal is to achieve “ net zero ” emissions in the U.S. by 2050 , as the incoming administration has stated , discouraging investment and innovation in the largest source of carbon free energy would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
BlackRock ’ s new direction is all well and good for BlackRock ’ s bottom line , but the benefit for investors is a completely different story .
Last year a Pacific Research Institute study found that a ten-year investment in several major ESG portfolios would end up over 40 % smaller compared to the same investment in a broader S & P 500 Index fund .
Such a divergence flies in the face of investors seeking the highest risk-adjusted rate of return , and is especially egregious for public pension fund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fiduciary responsibility that they owe their beneficiaries .
BlackRock ’ s sheer size — with a current $ 7 trillion in assets — has understandably resulted in outsized influence over the policy , management , and investment decisions of the corporate sector at large .
It now seems that this influence will be spilling over into the federal government .
Given the precarious state of the U.S. economy as we begin to finally crawl back from the COVID-19 pandemic , it will be necessary to keep up the pressure on the Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out for the best interests of investors rather than caving to political pressure .
With BlackRock at the helm , this may be a tricky path .
Ken Blackwell , a former Treasurer of Ohio , is on the advisory board of the Institute for Pension Fund Integrity .

Last week, President-Elect Biden tapped two prominent individuals at the world’s largest money-management firm for key positions within the new administration’s economic team. Brian Deese, a BlackRock managing director who is responsible for overseeing the sustainable investment strategy of the firm, has been named as the new head of the National Economic Council. Wally Adeyemo, who served as a senior advisor at BlackRock and was Chief of Staff to CEO Larry Fink, has been nominated for U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury.
Staffing is policy as the D.C. saying goes, and such corporate picks might be a disappointment to some elements of the Democratic Party. However, what is most troublesome is the involvement of these two nominees in BlackRock’s recent efforts to push sustainability and environmentally focused investment priorities over solid returns and a fiduciary obligation to their customers.
A New Investment Approach
Earlier this year Larry Fink announced that the firm would begin to reshape their entire investment approach, accounting for climate risk when making decisions regarding capital allocation and investment priorities, and taking such steps as divesting entirely from the coal sector.
It is disappointing that BlackRock would choose to divest from entire industries within the U.S. market based not on underlying company performance, but due to political pressure. Such a trend is nothing new — from defense manufacturers, to tobacco companies, to the energy companies of today, some industries will always be a target for activism. However, such a move flies in the face of the free-market values that our country and our economy were based on.
If a certain sector is deemed problematic, the impetus is on lawmakers to put restrictions into place — not the private sector. I was heartened to see that this week, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) put forward a new regulation re-emphasizing this principle, codifying the standard that banks and investors must lend based only on creditworthiness without regard to political or other forms of pressure. Unfortunately, with BlackRock, the train appears to have already left the station.
BlackRock’s Full Story
Given the swell in public pressure for green initiatives in the private sector, BlackRock’s transition shouldn’t come as a surprise. However, it is necessary to consider the full story behind their motives. In a report earlier this year from the Institute for Pension Fund Integrity, for which I sit on the advisory board, a closer look was given to the consequences that BlackRock’s move in this direction will have on investments.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
It is worth noting upfront the financial incentives that BlackRock has with such actions. In recent years, index investing has become more and more competitive, which has cut down on returns. Most Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) funds, the benchmark for “sustainability” in modern investment (despite the ambiguity in the term itself), contain much higher fees than passive funds.
Motives for Their Move
For example, BlackRock’s iShares Global Clean Energy ETF, one of the largest ESG funds in the world, carries an expense ratio over ten times large as the expense ratio for BlackRock’s S&P 500 ETF. With these types of financial incentives, in addition to the large number of new customers that will likely be enticed by these political changes, the motive for such a move becomes more and more clear.
Worse yet, definitions of what is or is not ESG often make little sense. Take for example nuclear energy. Under BlackRock’s definition of ESG, the greatest source of carbon free electricity generation in the U.S., is deemed unworthy. If the purported goal is to achieve “net zero” emissions in the U.S. by 2050, as the incoming administration has stated, discouraging investment and innovation in the largest source of carbon free energy would be a strange way to get there.
Good for the Bottom Line
BlackRock’s new direction is all well and good for BlackRock’s bottom line, but the benefit for investors is a completely different story. Last year a Pacific Research Institute study found that a ten-year investment in several major ESG portfolios would end up over 40% smaller compared to the same investment in a broader S&P 500 Index fund. Such a divergence flies in the face of investors seeking the highest risk-adjusted rate of return, and is especially egregious for public pension fund managers struggling to maintain the strict standards of fiduciary responsibility that they owe their beneficiaries.
BlackRock’s sheer size — with a current $7 trillion in assets — has understandably resulted in outsized influence over the policy, management, and investment decisions of the corporate sector at large. It now seems that this influence will be spilling over into the federal government.
Given the precarious state of the U.S. economy as we begin to finally crawl back from the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be necessary to keep up the pressure on the Biden administration to pursue an agenda that looks out for the best interests of investors rather than caving to political pressure. With BlackRock at the helm, this may be a tricky path.
Ken Blackwell, a former Treasurer of Ohio, is on the advisory board of the Institute for Pension Fund Integrity.


thestream--2020-12-18--Jesus Alone is Our Hope in the Middle of the Storm

It ’ s been a bad year .
From the coronavirus to the election to the death of loved ones , this year is at the top of my “ worst years ever ” list .
I know I am not alone .
Others have suffered the same grief and frustrations .
They ’ ve lost loved ones .
They ’ ve been ill.
They ’ ve lost pets .
It ’ s been a hard year for all of us .
In the middle of the storm , I realized that there is only one hope for making it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others have endured .
I do not put my trust in vaccines .
I do not put my trust in presidents .
I do not put my trust in my ability to keep myself healthy .
As we know , my life may be demanded of me this very day .
No , I can only put my hope in Jesus , Who alone has the power to save me and sustain me .
I guess it ’ s easier for me to understand that , given that I ’ ve seen my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple times .
From before I was born , God intervened on my behalf .
Here are a few of the times when He protected me .
My parents were young and already had two girls .
One night , when my mother was pregnant with me , she felt a great burden to pray for her unborn child .
My parents laid their hands on her belly and prayed .
She felt something was wrong , and it was .
When I was born , half of the placenta was already dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my neck tightly , multiple times .
The doctor told my mother that if I ’ d grown any more ( I was 4 lbs.
, 13 oz . )
, I wouldn ’ t have survived .
Then there was the time that I opened the car door as my father was driving down the highway .
Although I was three years old , I remember that moment .
I wanted to see what the pavement looked like when we were traveling .
Back then , of course , we didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
None of us girls were strapped in .
I could ’ ve fallen out , but I didn ’ t .
On my sixth birthday , I crawled up into a makeshift treehouse , along with my sisters and best friend .
It didn ’ t have rails and my father warned us girls not to go up there until he could make them .
I didn ’ t listen .
I fell , and landed on my left side .
My mother remembers that I was in shock .
She rushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the long wait I perked up .
When I asked for a candy bar , we left .
There was no permanent damage .
There were other times when I saw God ’ s provision , like the time when I was a preteen and became very ill .
I laid on the couch for a couple of days , unconscious .
My mother prayed over me .
She felt God tell her not to take me to the hospital because if she did , I would die .
She didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consciousness and slowly got better .
Shortly after I gave birth to my first child , I became very sick .
I had a high fever .
I thought I ’ d contracted the flu , but mother knew better .
She instructed me to get to the doctor quickly .
When I did , the doctor discovered that I still had some of the placenta inside me .
I recall thinking that if God hadn ’ t allowed me to be born when I was , I would not have made it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after her birth from the same problem , I learned later .
There are so many more times God ’ s been with me and provided for me when I couldn ’ t see a way through .
They are too numerous to mention here .
I write all of this as a testimony to God ’ s hand on my life .
I ’ m sure others have similar stories .
But the bottom line is , God protected me over the course of my life for whatever reason .
I do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus rages , I trust God to keep me healthy .
When elections don ’ t turn out quite like I ’ d expected or prayed , I understand that I serve God and He is my ultimate authority .
When I lose family members to cancer or other illnesses , I hurt , but I know God ’ s timing and reasons are perfect .
I firmly believe that when it ’ s my time to die , I will , but not before .
“ Can any one of you by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life ?
” Jesus asked ( Matthew 6:27 , NIV ) .
We can not , even though we may try .
As for the election , God places those in power over us .
All authority comes from God .
“ Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities , for there is no authority except that which God has established .
The authorities that exist have been established by God ” ( Romans 13:1 , NIV ) .
I may not agree with the election results .
I may even think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that God is still in control , regardless of who is in the White House .
No matter how hard the storm rages , no matter how frightening the situations in which I find myself , my hope is always in Jesus .
Only He has protected me , guided me and saved me .
Only He will calm the storm .
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

It’s been a bad year. From the coronavirus to the election to the death of loved ones, this year is at the top of my “worst years ever” list.
I know I am not alone. Others have suffered the same grief and frustrations. They’ve lost loved ones. They’ve been ill. They’ve lost pets. It’s been a hard year for all of us.
In the middle of the storm, I realized that there is only one hope for making it through all that I and so many others have endured.
I do not put my trust in vaccines. I do not put my trust in presidents. I do not put my trust in my ability to keep myself healthy. As we know, my life may be demanded of me this very day.
No, I can only put my hope in Jesus, Who alone has the power to save me and sustain me.
Saved by God’s Hand
I guess it’s easier for me to understand that, given that I’ve seen my life saved by God’s hand multiple times. From before I was born, God intervened on my behalf. Here are a few of the times when He protected me.
My parents were young and already had two girls. One night, when my mother was pregnant with me, she felt a great burden to pray for her unborn child. My parents laid their hands on her belly and prayed. She felt something was wrong, and it was. When I was born, half of the placenta was already dead. My umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck tightly, multiple times. The doctor told my mother that if I’d grown any more (I was 4 lbs., 13 oz.), I wouldn’t have survived.
Then there was the time that I opened the car door as my father was driving down the highway. Although I was three years old, I remember that moment. I wanted to see what the pavement looked like when we were traveling. Back then, of course, we didn’t have seatbelts in the back seat. None of us girls were strapped in. I could’ve fallen out, but I didn’t.
On my sixth birthday, I crawled up into a makeshift treehouse, along with my sisters and best friend. It didn’t have rails and my father warned us girls not to go up there until he could make them. I didn’t listen. I fell, and landed on my left side. My mother remembers that I was in shock. She rushed me to the hospital, but during the long wait I perked up. When I asked for a candy bar, we left. There was no permanent damage.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
There were other times when I saw God’s provision, like the time when I was a preteen and became very ill. I laid on the couch for a couple of days, unconscious. My mother prayed over me. She felt God tell her not to take me to the hospital because if she did, I would die. She didn’t. After much prayer, I regained consciousness and slowly got better.
Shortly after I gave birth to my first child, I became very sick. I had a high fever. I thought I’d contracted the flu, but mother knew better. She instructed me to get to the doctor quickly. When I did, the doctor discovered that I still had some of the placenta inside me. I recall thinking that if God hadn’t allowed me to be born when I was, I would not have made it. A coworker’s mother died after her birth from the same problem, I learned later.
There are so many more times God’s been with me and provided for me when I couldn’t see a way through. They are too numerous to mention here.
A Testimony
I write all of this as a testimony to God’s hand on my life. I’m sure others have similar stories. But the bottom line is, God protected me over the course of my life for whatever reason. I do not know; He does.
When coronavirus rages, I trust God to keep me healthy. When elections don’t turn out quite like I’d expected or prayed, I understand that I serve God and He is my ultimate authority. When I lose family members to cancer or other illnesses, I hurt, but I know God’s timing and reasons are perfect.
I firmly believe that when it’s my time to die, I will, but not before. “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Jesus asked (Matthew 6:27, NIV). We cannot, even though we may try.
As for the election, God places those in power over us. All authority comes from God. “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Romans 13:1, NIV). I may not agree with the election results. I may even think there was fraud. But I understand that God is still in control, regardless of who is in the White House.
No matter how hard the storm rages, no matter how frightening the situations in which I find myself, my hope is always in Jesus. Only He has protected me, guided me and saved me. Only He will calm the storm.
Watch In Christ Alone:
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-12-18--DC Mayor Backs Down Following Catholic Church Lawsuit, Eases Restrictions on Churches Ahead of Chris

DC Mayor Backs Down Following Catholic Church Lawsuit, Eases Restrictions on Churches Ahead of Christmas

Democratic D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has eased restrictions on houses of worship following a lawsuit by the Catholic Church accusing the Democrat of “ arbitrary ” and “ discriminatory ” restrictions on churches ahead of Christmas .
In a lawsuit filed Dec. 11 , the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington said Bowser ’ s restrictions “ bear no relation to either the size of the building or the safety of the activity ” and “ single out religious worship as a disfavored activity , even though it has been proven safer than many other activities the District favors.
” Bowser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a Wednesday order , removing the 50-person limit for religious gatherings and instead capping places of worship at 25 % capacity with a maximum of 250 people .
The modified order still discourages large gatherings and warns that those who attend large gatherings are putting themselves at risk .
Represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty , the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington requested an injunction allowing “ sufficient time before Christmas Eve to allow the Archdiocese to plan and celebrate Mass with percentage-based limits rather than a 50-person cap.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Religious Freedom Restoration Act , the District ’ s arbitrary , unscientific , and discriminatory treatment of religious worship is illegal , ” the lawsuit said .
“ As Christmas fast approaches , the District has imposed arbitrary 50-person caps on Mass attendance — even for masked , socially-distant services , and even when those services are held in churches that can in normal times host over a thousand people , ” the lawsuit said , noting that the District imposed capacity-based limits on libraries , laundromats , retail stores , fitness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit also said that half of the Archdiocese of Washington ’ s churches can accommodate 500 or more worshippers : St. Matthew ’ s Cathedral fits over 1,000 worshippers and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception , which is the largest Catholic church in the United States , can hold thousands , according to the lawsuit .
“ These arbitrary restrictions violate the rights of more than 650,000 D.C.-area Catholics , who — at the end of this most difficult year — now face the chilling prospect of being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them at the Church this Christmas , ” the suit continued .
Bowser ’ s office has not responded to requests for comment from The Daily Caller News Foundation .
The case is one of several religious freedom disputes that have come before the Supreme Court this year .
In a monumental religious freedom case , religious organizations in New York took Democratic New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo to the Supreme Court over his restrictions on houses of worship , accusing Cuomo of “ targeting Orthodox practices.
” The court sided with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night before Thanksgiving .
A December Gallup poll found that only those who attended religious services weekly saw a positive change between 2019 and 2020 in how they rated their mental health .
No other demographic group in the Gallup poll saw a percentage increase in rating their mental health as excellent during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Houses of worship and religious services provide so much more than just a weekly meeting place — they are where so many Americans find strength , community , and meaning , ” Caleb Lyman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s director of research , told The Daily Caller News Foundation in early December .
“ Findings from this year ’ s Religious Freedom Index — that 62 % of respondents said that faith had been important during the pandemic — align with Gallup ’ s findings on the importance of religious services to Americans ’ mental health , ” Lyman said .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Democratic D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has eased restrictions on houses of worship following a lawsuit by the Catholic Church accusing the Democrat of “arbitrary” and “discriminatory” restrictions on churches ahead of Christmas.
In a lawsuit filed Dec. 11, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington said Bowser’s restrictions “bear no relation to either the size of the building or the safety of the activity” and “single out religious worship as a disfavored activity, even though it has been proven safer than many other activities the District favors.”
Bowser modified the city’s attendance limits in a Wednesday order, removing the 50-person limit for religious gatherings and instead capping places of worship at 25% capacity with a maximum of 250 people. The modified order still discourages large gatherings and warns that those who attend large gatherings are putting themselves at risk.
Represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington requested an injunction allowing “sufficient time before Christmas Eve to allow the Archdiocese to plan and celebrate Mass with percentage-based limits rather than a 50-person cap.”
“Under both the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the District’s arbitrary, unscientific, and discriminatory treatment of religious worship is illegal,” the lawsuit said.
“As Christmas fast approaches, the District has imposed arbitrary 50-person caps on Mass attendance — even for masked, socially-distant services, and even when those services are held in churches that can in normal times host over a thousand people,” the lawsuit said, noting that the District imposed capacity-based limits on libraries, laundromats, retail stores, fitness centers, and other establishments.
The lawsuit also said that half of the Archdiocese of Washington’s churches can accommodate 500 or more worshippers: St. Matthew’s Cathedral fits over 1,000 worshippers and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, which is the largest Catholic church in the United States, can hold thousands, according to the lawsuit.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“These arbitrary restrictions violate the rights of more than 650,000 D.C.-area Catholics, who — at the end of this most difficult year — now face the chilling prospect of being told that there is no room for them at the Church this Christmas,” the suit continued.
Bowser’s office has not responded to requests for comment from The Daily Caller News Foundation.
The case is one of several religious freedom disputes that have come before the Supreme Court this year.
In a monumental religious freedom case, religious organizations in New York took Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to the Supreme Court over his restrictions on houses of worship, accusing Cuomo of “targeting Orthodox practices.” The court sided with religious organizations in the 5-4 ruling the night before Thanksgiving.
A December Gallup poll found that only those who attended religious services weekly saw a positive change between 2019 and 2020 in how they rated their mental health. No other demographic group in the Gallup poll saw a percentage increase in rating their mental health as excellent during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Houses of worship and religious services provide so much more than just a weekly meeting place — they are where so many Americans find strength, community, and meaning,” Caleb Lyman, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty’s director of research, told The Daily Caller News Foundation in early December.
“Findings from this year’s Religious Freedom Index — that 62% of respondents said that faith had been important during the pandemic — align with Gallup’s findings on the importance of religious services to Americans’ mental health,” Lyman said.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-12-19--Christmas is Not Canceled After All

Christmas is Not Canceled After All

Christmas was canceled for the Dream Center ’ s guests .
Los Angeles County had shut the facility down because of COVID .
Told them they couldn ’ t pass out hams or give away bikes .
The Dream Center is a resource center that helps those in greatest need in Los Angeles .
The Center , located in an old hospital , houses 700 people who would otherwise be homeless .
They also daily give away food to 3,500 poor people in their community .
But one of the best times is had during their Christmas present and food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a screeching halt earlier this month with the county ’ s decision .
Pastor Matthew Barnett , CEO and Co-founder of the Dream Center , told The Stream that he wrote an email response to the county .
“ I ’ m like , look , we will comply with whatever you say , but I ’ m just going to have to tell the people that … Christmas is canceled .
But it ’ s not our choice .
It was your decision to do it .
And I ’ m not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t cancel it myself.
” Without the Christmas event , many people wouldn ’ t get any presents or food .
So , Pastor Matthew filmed a video explaining how Christmas 2020 got canceled .
“ It got 315,000 views , shockingly , to my surprise.
” But those who would be affected didn ’ t go away quietly .
They contacted the county and told them the event was essential .
“ It just kind of struck a chord with people and they rose to defend the cause of the one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s giving back to them.
” Eight hours after he posted his video , the county changed its mind .
“ They came back … and said , ‘ We want you to have your event , we want to work with you , partner and help you go forward . '
” It ’ s going to go forward , although not like last year ’ s event .
Rather than walk-up crowds , an ice skating rink or snowball fights , the Dream Center will be putting on a drive-through event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at .
Instead of personally handing out the gifts , they will be placing them in the trunk of cars .
“ But they ’ re still going to get some amazing things for Christmas.
” The Dream Center , at 2301 Bellevue Avenue in Los Angeles , is expecting around 4,500 cars to show up for the three-night event this weekend , December 18-20 .
They ’ ll be handing out 18,000 presents , including 500 new bikes .
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

Christmas was canceled for the Dream Center’s guests. Los Angeles County had shut the facility down because of COVID. Told them they couldn’t pass out hams or give away bikes.
The Dream Center is a resource center that helps those in greatest need in Los Angeles. The Center, located in an old hospital, houses 700 people who would otherwise be homeless. They also daily give away food to 3,500 poor people in their community. But one of the best times is had during their Christmas present and food giveaway.
‘It’s Not Our Choice’
All of that came to a screeching halt earlier this month with the county’s decision. Pastor Matthew Barnett, CEO and Co-founder of the Dream Center, told The Stream that he wrote an email response to the county. “I’m like, look, we will comply with whatever you say, but I’m just going to have to tell the people that … Christmas is canceled. But it’s not our choice. It was your decision to do it. And I’m not going to own it if I didn’t cancel it myself.” Without the Christmas event, many people wouldn’t get any presents or food. So, Pastor Matthew filmed a video explaining how Christmas 2020 got canceled. “It got 315,000 views, shockingly, to my surprise.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
But those who would be affected didn’t go away quietly. They contacted the county and told them the event was essential. “It just kind of struck a chord with people and they rose to defend the cause of the one thing left in the neighborhood that’s giving back to them.” Eight hours after he posted his video, the county changed its mind. “They came back … and said, ‘We want you to have your event, we want to work with you, partner and help you go forward.'”
Some Amazing Things for Christmas
It’s going to go forward, although not like last year’s event. Rather than walk-up crowds, an ice skating rink or snowball fights, the Dream Center will be putting on a drive-through event featuring Christmas lights and sets people can look at. Instead of personally handing out the gifts, they will be placing them in the trunk of cars. “But they’re still going to get some amazing things for Christmas.”
The Dream Center, at 2301 Bellevue Avenue in Los Angeles, is expecting around 4,500 cars to show up for the three-night event this weekend, December 18-20. They’ll be handing out 18,000 presents, including 500 new bikes.
Watch:
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.