thestream--2020-07-27--Facebook Says Ban on Conversion Therapy to Strike ‘Right Balance’ on Speech, Safety

In response to activists , Instagram and parent company Facebook plan to ban information about “ conversion therapy ” available for gays and lesbians — but haven ’ t fully defined the term .
In yet another debate over free speech on social media platforms , Instagram and Facebook may end up picking winners and losers in a hotly debated topic .
A Facebook representative said the company seeks the “ right balance between enabling freedom of expression while keeping people safe.
” Conversion therapy has been shorthand for what proponents call “ sexual orientation change efforts ” aimed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attraction to the same sex .
It is generally defined as professional therapy sought by gays or lesbians to change their sexual orientation .
“ This is a global policy .
The policy is still under development , but for now it will be applied to content that promotes conversion therapy when we become aware of it , ” Facebook spokeswoman Stephanie Otway told The Daily Signal in an email .
Opponents say that conversion therapy is discrimination , while supporters contend it offers individuals a choice for help if they want it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the term before implementing the new policy , Otway said in the email , adding : The debate around the definition of conversion therapy is happening live and we will continue to consult with experts and those with personal experience to inform our approach .
The scale and size of our community , which includes people from different countries , cultures and perspectives , means not everyone will agree with where we draw the line , as we strive to strike the right balance between enabling freedom of expression [ and ] keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ block positive reviews or testimonials about counselors or organizations that specialize in the field , CNN reported .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Instagram already had banned ads for conversion therapy .
The broader move comes after Facebook and Instagram specifically banned a British organization called Core Issues Trust .
On other issues of public debate , Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has resisted stifling certain dissenting views .
However , this move seems to be censorship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the book “ When Harry Became Sally : Responding to the Transgender Moment.
” “ Facebook isn ’ t targeting harmful practices , but is censoring viewpoints that it doesn ’ t like , ” Anderson told The Daily Signal in an email .
“ Content about therapy to help a teen with a body-image struggle due to anorexia would be allowed , but content on the same therapeutic techniques to help a teen with a body-image struggle due to gender dysphoria would be removed.
” Anderson , a senior research fellow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Heritage Foundation , added : Fred Lucas is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “ The Right Side of History ” podcast .
Lucas is also the author of “ Tainted by Suspicion : The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections.
” Send an email to Fred .

In response to activists, Instagram and parent company Facebook plan to ban information about “conversion therapy” available for gays and lesbians — but haven’t fully defined the term.
In yet another debate over free speech on social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook may end up picking winners and losers in a hotly debated topic.
A Facebook representative said the company seeks the “right balance between enabling freedom of expression while keeping people safe.”
Conversion therapy has been shorthand for what proponents call “sexual orientation change efforts” aimed at minimizing or ending a person’s attraction to the same sex. It is generally defined as professional therapy sought by gays or lesbians to change their sexual orientation.
“This is a global policy. The policy is still under development, but for now it will be applied to content that promotes conversion therapy when we become aware of it,” Facebook spokeswoman Stephanie Otway told The Daily Signal in an email.
Opponents say that conversion therapy is discrimination, while supporters contend it offers individuals a choice for help if they want it.
Facebook is considering how to define the term before implementing the new policy, Otway said in the email, adding:
The debate around the definition of conversion therapy is happening live and we will continue to consult with experts and those with personal experience to inform our approach. The scale and size of our community, which includes people from different countries, cultures and perspectives, means not everyone will agree with where we draw the line, as we strive to strike the right balance between enabling freedom of expression [and] keeping people safe.
The proposal is to block positive reviews or testimonials about counselors or organizations that specialize in the field, CNN reported.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Instagram already had banned ads for conversion therapy. The broader move comes after Facebook and Instagram specifically banned a British organization called Core Issues Trust.
On other issues of public debate, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has resisted stifling certain dissenting views.
However, this move seems to be censorship, said Ryan T. Anderson, author of the book “When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment.”
“Facebook isn’t targeting harmful practices, but is censoring viewpoints that it doesn’t like,” Anderson told The Daily Signal in an email. “Content about therapy to help a teen with a body-image struggle due to anorexia would be allowed, but content on the same therapeutic techniques to help a teen with a body-image struggle due to gender dysphoria would be removed.”
Anderson, a senior research fellow in American principles and public policy at The Heritage Foundation, added:
Meanwhile, content promoting puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones for teens would be permitted, but content on providing teens with the resources to feel comfortable in their own bodies would be forbidden. In what universe does any of this make sense?
Fred Lucas is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “The Right Side of History” podcast. Lucas is also the author of “Tainted by Suspicion: The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections.” Send an email to Fred.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-07-27--No Time for Cowardice

No Time for Cowardice

According to the book of Revelation , “ the cowardly , ” along with a host of other sinners , like murderers and the sexually immoral , will one day be cast into the lake of fire ( see Revelation 21:8 ) .
But what is so bad about being cowardly ?
Why is it such a serious sin ?
The Greek word used for “ cowardly ” also means “ fearful , ” and it is found two other times in the New Testament .
As explained by the Greek scholar Celsas Spicq , “ Jesus reproaches the apostles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrified by the storm ( Matt 8:26 ; Mark 4:40 ) , because it involves a moral deficiency : they no longer have faith , or they have but little faith in the presence of the Savior , who has to reassure them.
” In contrast , “ when one relies on God , there is nothing to fear.
” ( From his Theological Lexicon of the New Testament . )
So , there is something morally deficient in being fearful when Jesus Himself is with you .
And in the situation described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were terrified by the storm at sea , they should have known better .
Jesus was in the boat with them , even though He was asleep .
That ’ s why He rebuked them for their unbelief and fear .
But is this a damnable sin ?
Does it deserve to be placed side by side with murder ?
Surely the Lord understands our weaknesses and knows that we sometimes struggle with fear .
Spicq explains that there was something more involved in Revelation 21 .
He writes , “ When Rev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the lake of fire , it has in view Christians during times of persecution who , out of a fear of suffering , renounce their faith.
” So , that is what is meant by cowardice .
It speaks of people who chose to deny Jesus in order to save their lives .
It speaks of the cowardice that opts for an easy way out rather than the faithful obedience that takes a stand regardless of the cost .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day .
Spicq continues : “ It is a commonplace that human courage and cowardice are revealed in the face of death .
.
.
.
Cowardice can then be defined as ‘ a more serious disease than those which afflict the body , because it destroys the faculties of the soul ’ ( Philo , Virtues 26 ) and seen as a major vice , characteristic of base souls.
” Does this make more sense now ?
That kind of cowardice is a serious ethical violation , something “ characteristic of base @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put survival before principle and who substitute convenience for courage .
When the rubber meets the road , they cave .
They are not dependable .
They can not be trusted .
They will let you down when the going gets rough .
They are lacking in character .
What highlights their moral weakness is the sacrificial obedience of other Christians .
They were willing to lose family , reputation , jobs , opportunity , even life and limb rather than sacrifice to Caesar .
Against the backdrop of their obedience , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the more boldly .
The reverse image can be seen in a famous photograph from Nazi Germany , where one man ’ s courage stands in contrast with the fawning obedience of the crowd .
The man was August Landmesser , and “ he refused to do the ‘ Sieg Heil ’ salute during a Nazi rally at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg on June 13 , 1936.
” His marriage to a Jewish woman was nullified by the Nuremberg Laws , which led to his disdain for Hitler .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crowd signaled their loyalty to Hitler with their right hands extended , Landmesser folded his arms in scorn .
After attempting to flee to Denmark some months later , Landmesser , his wife Irma , and their first child were apprehended .
( He was charged with “ dishonoring the race ” or “ racial infamy ” under the Nuremberg Laws . )
Eventually , when he refused to break off the relationship , he was sentenced to more than two years in a concentration camp .
Sometime after his release , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mission fighting against the allies , where he died .
His wife , Irma , was put to death in a concentration camp , although their two children survived .
Courage can be costly .
Very costly .
But the cost of cowardice is far greater .
It not only diminishes our souls .
It damns our souls .
And it destroys our legacy for the coming generations .
( When we look at the picture with Landmesser , who do we admire and who do we scorn ? )
Proverbs says , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of trouble , how small is your strength !
” ( Proverbs 24:10 ) It is times of trouble that will test us .
As C. H. Mackintosh said , “ A coward heart will not do for the day of battle ; a doubting spirit will not stand in conflict.
” The days ahead will be days that challenge our souls and test our faith .
What , then , will it be ?
Will we be cowardly ?
Or will we be courageous ?
The world is watching .
Our families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 , Twitteror YouTube .

According to the book of Revelation, “the cowardly,” along with a host of other sinners, like murderers and the sexually immoral, will one day be cast into the lake of fire (see Revelation 21:8). But what is so bad about being cowardly? Why is it such a serious sin?
The Greek word used for “cowardly” also means “fearful,” and it is found two other times in the New Testament.
As explained by the Greek scholar Celsas Spicq, “Jesus reproaches the apostles for this psychological fear when they are terrified by the storm (Matt 8:26; Mark 4:40), because it involves a moral deficiency: they no longer have faith, or they have but little faith in the presence of the Savior, who has to reassure them.” In contrast, “when one relies on God, there is nothing to fear.” (From his Theological Lexicon of the New Testament.)
So, there is something morally deficient in being fearful when Jesus Himself is with you. And in the situation described in the Gospels, when the disciples were terrified by the storm at sea, they should have known better. Jesus was in the boat with them, even though He was asleep.
That’s why He rebuked them for their unbelief and fear.
Renouncing Their Faith
But is this a damnable sin? Does it deserve to be placed side by side with murder? Surely the Lord understands our weaknesses and knows that we sometimes struggle with fear.
Spicq explains that there was something more involved in Revelation 21. He writes, “When Rev 21:8 places the fainthearted and the unbelieving in the lake of fire, it has in view Christians during times of persecution who, out of a fear of suffering, renounce their faith.”
So, that is what is meant by cowardice.
It speaks of people who chose to deny Jesus in order to save their lives. It speaks of the cowardice that opts for an easy way out rather than the faithful obedience that takes a stand regardless of the cost.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Spicq continues: “It is a commonplace that human courage and cowardice are revealed in the face of death. . . . Cowardice can then be defined as ‘a more serious disease than those which afflict the body, because it destroys the faculties of the soul’ (Philo, Virtues 26) and seen as a major vice, characteristic of base souls.”
Does this make more sense now?
That kind of cowardice is a serious ethical violation, something “characteristic of base souls.”
It speaks of those who put survival before principle and who substitute convenience for courage. When the rubber meets the road, they cave.
They are not dependable. They cannot be trusted. They will let you down when the going gets rough. They are lacking in character.
Sacrificial Obedience
What highlights their moral weakness is the sacrificial obedience of other Christians. They were willing to lose family, reputation, jobs, opportunity, even life and limb rather than sacrifice to Caesar. Against the backdrop of their obedience, the self-serving decisions of the cowardly stand out all the more boldly.
The reverse image can be seen in a famous photograph from Nazi Germany, where one man’s courage stands in contrast with the fawning obedience of the crowd.
The man was August Landmesser, and “he refused to do the ‘Sieg Heil’ salute during a Nazi rally at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg on June 13, 1936.”
His marriage to a Jewish woman was nullified by the Nuremberg Laws, which led to his disdain for Hitler. And so, when everyone else in the crowd signaled their loyalty to Hitler with their right hands extended, Landmesser folded his arms in scorn.
After attempting to flee to Denmark some months later, Landmesser, his wife Irma, and their first child were apprehended. (He was charged with “dishonoring the race” or “racial infamy” under the Nuremberg Laws.)
Eventually, when he refused to break off the relationship, he was sentenced to more than two years in a concentration camp. Sometime after his release, he was consigned to a virtual suicide mission fighting against the allies, where he died.
His wife, Irma, was put to death in a concentration camp, although their two children survived.
The Cost of Cowardice
Courage can be costly. Very costly.
But the cost of cowardice is far greater.
It not only diminishes our souls. It damns our souls. And it destroys our legacy for the coming generations. (When we look at the picture with Landmesser, who do we admire and who do we scorn?)
Proverbs says, “If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!” (Proverbs 24:10) It is times of trouble that will test us.
As C. H. Mackintosh said, “A coward heart will not do for the day of battle; a doubting spirit will not stand in conflict.”
The days ahead will be days that challenge our souls and test our faith. What, then, will it be?
Will we be cowardly? Or will we be courageous?
The world is watching. Our families are watching. God is watching.
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, Twitteror YouTube.


thestream--2020-07-27--20 Questions the Woke Can’t Answer … Because Thinking Makes Their Brains Hurt

A few weeks ago I posed 33 questions — one for each year of Our Lord ’ s earthly life — to pose to befuddled , Woke folks whom you encounter .
People seemed to find them helpful .
And events keep spinning out of any rational control , as the left continues to escalate its violence , and demand more raw power on America ’ s city streets .
Each outrage , each morally blinkered or factually challenged assertion by these elites , raises new questions .
Let me formulate mine for you .
See if they come in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in American cities , burning police stations and throwing bottles at cops commanded by Democratic mayors ?
What specifically do they want ?
How do we get them to go home ?
The cops in George Floyd ’ s case have been in jail for months .
• What exactly do you mean by “ systemic racism ” ?
Is it different from what Christians face in the Muslim world , minorities face in China , and ethnic minorities have faced in virtually every society known to man ?
How ?
• Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t hold Chinese or Africans to ?
Do you think whites are superior ?
• Is that why the Smithsonian , and other white-run institutions , are designating things like punctuality , professionalism , rational thought and diligence as part of “ white culture ” ?
• You say that racism is so deeply entrenched in America that to eliminate it we need to uproot our whole culture , history , and political system .
That ’ s exactly what the white segregationists warned us in the 1950s .
Martin Luther @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , vehemently disagreed .
Are you happy taking the Klan ’ s side against them ?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
• Assuming that Black Lives Matter and the Klan are right about America … is solving racism worth all that destruction ?
All that power handed to the government ?
Aren ’ t there other evils beside racism , some of them even worse ?
• What would you think of pro-life zealots who trashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demanded we rip up America from the roots ?
• Since you ’ ve shown pro-lifers that violence works , and there ’ s no civil peace left to disrupt , why shouldn ’ t they try it ?
Or the same for any group that really , really believes in a cause ?
• With our massive bureaucracy that polices every employment transaction for even accidental , unintentional “ disparate impact ” on minorities , is it really likely that racism is the reason blacks are poorer ?
Is it “ racist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Assuming you want to solve these problems , not just milk them .
• Do you want to help solve black Americans ’ problems , or are you just milking them ?
• If you compare intact , two-parent black homes to white , the disparities between them virtually disappear .
That suggests that the Sexual Revolution , enabled by the welfare system , does most of the damage to black people .
Not “ racism.
” Are the Sexual Revolution and the welfare system too important to you ?
Is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that skeptics are “ racist ” ?
• Why does Black Lives Matter oppose the nuclear family , and favor letting kids be raised by “ the community ” ( i.e.
, the government and street gangs ) ?
Is that proposal meant to actually help black people , or just to apply Friedrich Engels more consistently ?
• Just a crazy hypothetical here .
Imagine that I could prove to you that outlawing abortion , deepening welfare reform , and cutting low-skill immigration would eliminate most racial disparities .
Would you be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Try to answer honestly here .
• Which is more important to you : consequence-free sex , or black lives ?
• Which matters more , rising wages for black citizens , or cheap immigrant labor/votes ?
• How is a mayor fulfilling his oath of office when he orders the police not to enforce the law ?
When he lets mobs of well-organized activists trash people ’ s property and threaten their lives ?
• Why shouldn ’ t police in cities where mayors are doing that arrest the mayor , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues such illegal orders ?
• Why shouldn ’ t citizens organize into armed militias , as some are doing in Minnesota now , to defend their homes and families against these mobs ?
Isn ’ t it better to be judged by twelve than carried by six ?
• While Donald Trump tries to protect Americans from chaos , despite local officials , increasingly senile Joe Biden hides in his basement .
We know he won ’ t really serve as president .
Who will be on the secret committee that really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that memo ?
• Andrew Cuomo said that New York State is no place for pro-lifers or faithful Christians .
Do you think America has any room for us ?
Then why don ’ t you act like it ?
Do pose these questions , and the 33 previous ones , to people you encounter .
But don ’ t expect cogent answers .
We ’ re slipping into an ugly , scary period of tribalism and groupthink .
The best precedent I can find for it is the build-up to the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then , Southern states outlawed abolitionist newspapers , and pro-slavery mobs ran their opponents out of town .
Meanwhile , rich progressives in the north bought the guns for John Brown to try to start a slave revolt .
Pray for peace , my friends , but don ’ t beg for peace at any price .
That ’ s how bullies come out on top .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s co-author with Jason Jones of “ God , Guns , & the Government .
”

A few weeks ago I posed 33 questions — one for each year of Our Lord’s earthly life — to pose to befuddled, Woke folks whom you encounter. People seemed to find them helpful. And events keep spinning out of any rational control, as the left continues to escalate its violence, and demand more raw power on America’s city streets.
Each outrage, each morally blinkered or factually challenged assertion by these elites, raises new questions. Let me formulate mine for you. See if they come in handy.
Twenty Questions. Expect Zero Answers
Why are people demonstrating in American cities, burning police stations and throwing bottles at cops commanded by Democratic mayors? What specifically do they want? How do we get them to go home? The cops in George Floyd’s case have been in jail for months.
What exactly do you mean by “systemic racism”? Is it different from what Christians face in the Muslim world, minorities face in China, and ethnic minorities have faced in virtually every society known to man? How?
Why hold white people to standards you plainly don’t hold Chinese or Africans to? Do you think whites are superior?
Is that why the Smithsonian, and other white-run institutions, are designating things like punctuality, professionalism, rational thought and diligence as part of “white culture”?
You say that racism is so deeply entrenched in America that to eliminate it we need to uproot our whole culture, history, and political system. That’s exactly what the white segregationists warned us in the 1950s. Martin Luther King, and before him Frederick Douglass, vehemently disagreed. Are you happy taking the Klan’s side against them?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Assuming that Black Lives Matter and the Klan are right about America … is solving racism worth all that destruction? All that power handed to the government? Aren’t there other evils beside racism, some of them even worse?
What would you think of pro-life zealots who trashed public buildings and attacked cops, and demanded we rip up America from the roots?
Since you’ve shown pro-lifers that violence works, and there’s no civil peace left to disrupt, why shouldn’t they try it? Or the same for any group that really, really believes in a cause?
With our massive bureaucracy that polices every employment transaction for even accidental, unintentional “disparate impact” on minorities, is it really likely that racism is the reason blacks are poorer? Is it “racist” even to look for other causes? Assuming you want to solve these problems, not just milk them.
Do you want to help solve black Americans’ problems, or are you just milking them?
If you compare intact, two-parent black homes to white, the disparities between them virtually disappear. That suggests that the Sexual Revolution, enabled by the welfare system, does most of the damage to black people. Not “racism.” Are the Sexual Revolution and the welfare system too important to you? Is that why you silence such questions with smears that skeptics are “racist”?
Why does Black Lives Matter oppose the nuclear family, and favor letting kids be raised by “the community” (i.e., the government and street gangs)? Is that proposal meant to actually help black people, or just to apply Friedrich Engels more consistently?
Just a crazy hypothetical here. Imagine that I could prove to you that outlawing abortion, deepening welfare reform, and cutting low-skill immigration would eliminate most racial disparities. Would you be willing to do any of that? Try to answer honestly here.
Which is more important to you: consequence-free sex, or black lives?
Which matters more, rising wages for black citizens, or cheap immigrant labor/votes?
How is a mayor fulfilling his oath of office when he orders the police not to enforce the law? When he lets mobs of well-organized activists trash people’s property and threaten their lives?
Why shouldn’t police in cities where mayors are doing that arrest the mayor, and operate in defiance of any politician who issues such illegal orders?
Why shouldn’t citizens organize into armed militias, as some are doing in Minnesota now, to defend their homes and families against these mobs? Isn’t it better to be judged by twelve than carried by six?
While Donald Trump tries to protect Americans from chaos, despite local officials, increasingly senile Joe Biden hides in his basement. We know he won’t really serve as president. Who will be on the secret committee that really makes the decisions? Did you get that memo?
Andrew Cuomo said that New York State is no place for pro-lifers or faithful Christians. Do you think America has any room for us? Then why don’t you act like it?
Push Back, Don’t Back Down
Do pose these questions, and the 33 previous ones, to people you encounter. But don’t expect cogent answers. We’re slipping into an ugly, scary period of tribalism and groupthink. The best precedent I can find for it is the build-up to the U.S. Civil War in the 1850s. Back then, Southern states outlawed abolitionist newspapers, and pro-slavery mobs ran their opponents out of town. Meanwhile, rich progressives in the north bought the guns for John Brown to try to start a slave revolt.
Pray for peace, my friends, but don’t beg for peace at any price. That’s how bullies come out on top.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He’s co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”


thestream--2020-07-27--The Problem in Portland Isn’t the Law, It’s the Lawlessness

Despite the occasional looting , chaos , property damage , trespassing , rioting , graffiti , assaults , arson , and general mayhem , the media consistently assure us that Antifa “ protesters ” are “ largely peaceful.
” And since the majority of buildings in Portland , Seattle , and Denver haven ’ t been looted yet , who am I to argue ?
Of course , it takes only a sliver of the population to transform downtowns into a mess and create quality-of-life issues for thousands of law-abiding citizens .
And the mayors who surrender parts of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tacitly endorsing lawlessness themselves .
There ’ s little doubt that if alt-right activists had occupied a few city blocks in Seattle or tried to firebomb a federal courthouse in Portland , we ’ d be in for feverish wall-to-wall media coverage , engulfed in a national conversation about the perils of right-wing radicalism .
Every elected Republican would be asked to personally denounce the extremists to make sure they take implicit ownership of the problem .
When a few hundred angry tiki torch-carrying Nazis marched in Charlottesville , you would have thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wehrmacht .
Those who led the riot were even asked to opine on CNN .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
On the other hand , left-wing rioters — the people Chris Cuomo and other journalists compared to GIs landing on Normandy — are immediately transformed into apolitical actors , rogue “ anarchists , ” as soon as any violence starts .
Who knows ?
Perhaps the majority of citizens and businesses in Portland , Seattle , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let Antifa act with impunity .
Or maybe some of those citizens and businesses will begin fleeing those cities .
Whatever the case , it ’ s a local concern .
To a point .
If mayors do nothing to stop anarchists from tearing down federal monuments or from defacing , vandalizing , and attempting to burn down federal buildings , the feds have every right to dispatch teams of agents to restore order .
Federal Agents Are in Action Every Day Across the Country None of which is to deny that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is conducting itself .
I ’ m sympathetic to criticisms of the federal officers who operate in camouflage and in unmarked vans .
Cops should display badge numbers and identification — if they truly aren ’ t doing so right now — otherwise civilians have no real way to hold those in authority accountable for their actions .
But the claim that Pinochet-like secret police have begun snatching Portland protesters off the street and making them disappear amounts to the arrest of one man , who refused to speak without his lawyer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hour later without any charges .
If it were up to me , I ’ d leave Portland to the anarchists and their political accomplices .
But federal law enforcement — including agencies such as the FBI ; the Drug Enforcement Administration ; Immigration and Customs Enforcement ; the Department of Homeland Security ; the Marshal Service ; and the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms , and Explosives — regularly operate across the country .
Sometimes they make arrests , and sometimes they do so after going undercover .
This happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it often happens for far less compelling reasons .
As far as we know , cops haven ’ t broken any laws in the streets of Portland .
The protesters who cover their faces have broken tons .
With this in mind , it ’ s been instructive watching many of the same characters who cheer on governors who take undemocratic emergency powers and shut down houses of worship without the consent of the people — and who sometimes arrest Americans for playing whiffle ball , attending church , or cutting hair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of democracy .
The same people who incessantly clamor to empower the federal government when it suits their purposes now act as if protecting a federal courthouse is the Reichstag fire .
MSNBC ’ s John Heilemann says that President Donald Trump sending federal police into Portland is a “ trial run ” for using “ force ” to “ steal this election.
” In a piece titled “ Trump ’ s Occupation of American Cities Has Begun , ” Michelle Goldberg , somehow still allowed to freely opine at The New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” is already here .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls the police “ stormtroopers ” who are “ kidnapping protesters.
” All of these contentions are ugly conspiracy theories , hyperbolic allegations meant to fuel partisan paranoia before an election .
Even if we accept the criticisms of law enforcement , the driving problem , and it ’ s been happening to various degrees in a number of major cities , is that mayors are allowing “ protesters ” to trample on public and private property .
They allow it because they share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should never be a license for anarchy .
David Harsanyi is a senior writer at National Review and the author of First Freedom : A Ride through America ’ s Enduring History With the Gun , From the Revolution to Today .

Despite the occasional looting, chaos, property damage, trespassing, rioting, graffiti, assaults, arson, and general mayhem, the media consistently assure us that Antifa “protesters” are “largely peaceful.” And since the majority of buildings in Portland, Seattle, and Denver haven’t been looted yet, who am I to argue?
Of course, it takes only a sliver of the population to transform downtowns into a mess and create quality-of-life issues for thousands of law-abiding citizens. And the mayors who surrender parts of their cities to left-wing “protesters” are tacitly endorsing lawlessness themselves.
There’s little doubt that if alt-right activists had occupied a few city blocks in Seattle or tried to firebomb a federal courthouse in Portland, we’d be in for feverish wall-to-wall media coverage, engulfed in a national conversation about the perils of right-wing radicalism. Every elected Republican would be asked to personally denounce the extremists to make sure they take implicit ownership of the problem.
When a few hundred angry tiki torch-carrying Nazis marched in Charlottesville, you would have thought the Republican National Committee had deployed the Wehrmacht. Those who led the riot were even asked to opine on CNN.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
On the other hand, left-wing rioters — the people Chris Cuomo and other journalists compared to GIs landing on Normandy — are immediately transformed into apolitical actors, rogue “anarchists,” as soon as any violence starts.
Who knows? Perhaps the majority of citizens and businesses in Portland, Seattle, and Denver want their elected officials to let Antifa act with impunity. Or maybe some of those citizens and businesses will begin fleeing those cities. Whatever the case, it’s a local concern.
To a point. If mayors do nothing to stop anarchists from tearing down federal monuments or from defacing, vandalizing, and attempting to burn down federal buildings, the feds have every right to dispatch teams of agents to restore order.
Federal Agents Are in Action Every Day Across the Country
None of which is to deny that there are legitimate concerns about how law enforcement is conducting itself. I’m sympathetic to criticisms of the federal officers who operate in camouflage and in unmarked vans. Cops should display badge numbers and identification — if they truly aren’t doing so right now — otherwise civilians have no real way to hold those in authority accountable for their actions.
But the claim that Pinochet-like secret police have begun snatching Portland protesters off the street and making them disappear amounts to the arrest of one man, who refused to speak without his lawyer and was released a little more than an hour later without any charges.
If it were up to me, I’d leave Portland to the anarchists and their political accomplices. But federal law enforcement — including agencies such as the FBI; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the Department of Homeland Security; the Marshal Service; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives — regularly operate across the country. Sometimes they make arrests, and sometimes they do so after going undercover.
This happens under every administration, every day, and it often happens for far less compelling reasons. As far as we know, cops haven’t broken any laws in the streets of Portland. The protesters who cover their faces have broken tons.
With this in mind, it’s been instructive watching many of the same characters who cheer on governors who take undemocratic emergency powers and shut down houses of worship without the consent of the people — and who sometimes arrest Americans for playing whiffle ball, attending church, or cutting hair — act as if policing portends the end of democracy.
Fueling Ugly Conspiracy Theories
The same people who incessantly clamor to empower the federal government when it suits their purposes now act as if protecting a federal courthouse is the Reichstag fire.
MSNBC’s John Heilemann says that President Donald Trump sending federal police into Portland is a “trial run” for using “force” to “steal this election.”
In a piece titled “Trump’s Occupation of American Cities Has Begun,” Michelle Goldberg, somehow still allowed to freely opine at The New York Times, says that “fascism” is already here.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls the police “stormtroopers” who are “kidnapping protesters.”
All of these contentions are ugly conspiracy theories, hyperbolic allegations meant to fuel partisan paranoia before an election. Even if we accept the criticisms of law enforcement, the driving problem, and it’s been happening to various degrees in a number of major cities, is that mayors are allowing “protesters” to trample on public and private property. They allow it because they share the same left-wing sensibilities.
But protesting should never be a license for anarchy.
David Harsanyi is a senior writer at National Review and the author of First Freedom: A Ride through America’s Enduring History With the Gun, From the Revolution to Today.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-07-27--Military Photo of the Day: Taking Off From Ellsworth

A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer takes off from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota for an overseas deployment @ @ @ @ @ .
Have a healthy and safe week , everyone !
Please Support The Stream : @ @ @ @ @ About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .

A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer takes off from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota for an overseas deployment on July 16, 2020.
Have a healthy and safe week, everyone!
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.


thestream--2020-07-27--‘We Are Not The New York Times’

‘We Are Not The New York Times’

Do you remember when the New York Times was the most prestigious publication in America ?
When a positive story from the Times would jump start similar stories across the nation ?
Today , pushing back against the cancel culture in their own midst , editors from the Wall Street Journal wanted everyone to know that , “ We are not the New York Times.
” How the times have changed .
( Or , should I say , “ How the Times has changed ” ? )
.
In response to a letter signed by 280 Wall Street Journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was probably inevitable that the wave of progressive cancel culture would arrive at the Journal , as it has at nearly every other cultural , business , academic and journalistic institution .
But we are not the New York Times .
Most Journal reporters attempt to cover the news fairly and down the middle , and our opinion pages offer an alternative to the uniform progressive views that dominate nearly all of today ’ s media.
” What a rebuke to the Times .
The editorial was titled , “ A Note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t wilt under cancel-culture pressure.
” This stands in stark contrast with the Times , which has completely wilted and capitulated under pressure .
( Or , perhaps , the Times has simply shown its true colors , not caving in as much as making its deepest convictions known ? )
And , rephrasing what the Journal editors stated , most New York Times reporters do not “ attempt to cover the news fairly and down the middle.
” We don ’ t only have the much-publicized , deeply-concerning resignation letter of Bari @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of James Bennett , the editor of the editorial page of the Times .
His crime was allowing an editorial to be published by Sen. Tom Cotton , supporting President Trump ’ s plan to bring in military troops to deal with the violent riots in our cities .
Oh , the horror !
A conservative viewpoint penned by an elected senator supporting the president ’ s plans .
Not on these hallowed pages !
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Times on June 7 , “ At an all-staff virtual meeting on Friday , Mr. Bennet , 54 , apologized for the Op-Ed , saying that it should not have been published and that it had not been edited carefully enough .
An editors ’ note posted late Friday noted factual inaccuracies and a ‘ needlessly harsh ’ tone .
‘ The essay fell short of our standards and should not have been published , ’ the note said.
” But of course .
This wasn ’ t a matter of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a matter of the “ needlessly harsh ” tone of the essay .
It was the fact that the senator didn ’ t produce an editorial that lived to the standards of the Times .
That ’ s why there were such howls of protest .
But of course .
I can imagine an interested Times reader saying , “ Oh my .
Cotton ’ s op-ed really falls short of the Times normal literary standards .
And his tone is so harsh .
This is so different from the op-eds I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balanced , fair , even-handed , and kind.
” A more accurate assessment of the situation at the Times is that of an unnamed Times staffer who told the New York Post that the Times leaders are “ terrified of the young ‘ wokes.
’ ” The Young “ Wokes ” Couldn ’ t Handle an Accurate Headline About Trump In this case , the staffer was referring to young “ wokes ” who work at the Times .
But the young “ wokes ” outside the Times are making their impact as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , after the tragic El Paso shooting last year , where a white supremacist murdered Hispanics in cold-blood , President Trump issued a strong statement .
He said , in part , “ In one voice , our nation must condemn racism , bigotry , and white supremacy .
These sinister ideologies must be defeated .
Hate has no place in America .
Hatred warps the mind , ravages the heart , and devours the soul .
We have asked the FBI to identify all further resources they need to investigate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The statement , overall , was a powerful rebuke to racism and bigotry , and it called for a bipartisan stand against white supremacy .
Accordingly , the Times headlined their front-page article on the statement , “ TRUMP URGES UNITY VS. RACISM.
” But that fairly-worded headline only infuriated the woke mob , with Alexandria Ocasio Cortez writing , “ Let this front page serve as a reminder of how white supremacy is aided by — and often relies upon — the cowardice of mainstream institutions.
” Seriously ?
By rightly titling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renunciation of racism , bigotry , and white supremacy , the Times displayed “ cowardice ” and actually aided “ white supremacy ” ?
Really ?
The real display of cowardice came when the Times ’ second-print edition changed the headline to , “ ASSAILING HATE BUT NOT GUNS.
” ( For the possible influence of Nate Silver ’ s tweet , differing with the initial headline , see here . )
Talk about wilting under pressure from the cancel culture .
Talk about bowing down to the politically correct spirit of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once again , eating its own .
It ’ s as if Animal Farm had its own newspaper .
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 , Twitteror YouTube .

Do you remember when the New York Times was the most prestigious publication in America? When a positive story from the Times would jump start similar stories across the nation? Today, pushing back against the cancel culture in their own midst, editors from the Wall Street Journal wanted everyone to know that, “We are not the New York Times.” How the times have changed. (Or, should I say, “How the Times has changed”?).
In response to a letter signed by 280 Wall Street Journal employees, the editors wrote, “It was probably inevitable that the wave of progressive cancel culture would arrive at the Journal, as it has at nearly every other cultural, business, academic and journalistic institution. But we are not the New York Times. Most Journal reporters attempt to cover the news fairly and down the middle, and our opinion pages offer an alternative to the uniform progressive views that dominate nearly all of today’s media.”
What a rebuke to the Times.
“These Pages Won’t Wilt”
The editorial was titled, “A Note to Readers. These pages won’t wilt under cancel-culture pressure.”
This stands in stark contrast with the Times, which has completely wilted and capitulated under pressure. (Or, perhaps, the Times has simply shown its true colors, not caving in as much as making its deepest convictions known?) And, rephrasing what the Journal editors stated, most New York Times reporters do not “attempt to cover the news fairly and down the middle.”
We don’t only have the much-publicized, deeply-concerning resignation letter of Bari Weiss. We also have the resignation of James Bennett, the editor of the editorial page of the Times. His crime was allowing an editorial to be published by Sen. Tom Cotton, supporting President Trump’s plan to bring in military troops to deal with the violent riots in our cities.
Oh, the horror! A conservative viewpoint penned by an elected senator supporting the president’s plans. Not on these hallowed pages!
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
As explained by the Times on June 7, “At an all-staff virtual meeting on Friday, Mr. Bennet, 54, apologized for the Op-Ed, saying that it should not have been published and that it had not been edited carefully enough. An editors’ note posted late Friday noted factual inaccuracies and a ‘needlessly harsh’ tone. ‘The essay fell short of our standards and should not have been published,’ the note said.”
But of course. This wasn’t a matter of the cancel culture intimidating the Times. It was a matter of the “needlessly harsh” tone of the essay. It was the fact that the senator didn’t produce an editorial that lived to the standards of the Times. That’s why there were such howls of protest. But of course.
I can imagine an interested Times reader saying, “Oh my. Cotton’s op-ed really falls short of the Times normal literary standards. And his tone is so harsh. This is so different from the op-eds I normally read here, which are so balanced, fair, even-handed, and kind.”
Right.
A more accurate assessment of the situation at the Times is that of an unnamed Times staffer who told the New York Post that the Times leaders are “terrified of the young ‘wokes.’”
The Young “Wokes” Couldn’t Handle an Accurate Headline About Trump
In this case, the staffer was referring to young “wokes” who work at the Times. But the young “wokes” outside the Times are making their impact as well.
To give an extremely glaring example, after the tragic El Paso shooting last year, where a white supremacist murdered Hispanics in cold-blood, President Trump issued a strong statement. He said, in part, “In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry, and white supremacy. These sinister ideologies must be defeated. Hate has no place in America. Hatred warps the mind, ravages the heart, and devours the soul. We have asked the FBI to identify all further resources they need to investigate and disrupt hate crimes and domestic terrorism.”
The statement, overall, was a powerful rebuke to racism and bigotry, and it called for a bipartisan stand against white supremacy. Accordingly, the Times headlined their front-page article on the statement, “TRUMP URGES UNITY VS. RACISM.”
But that fairly-worded headline only infuriated the woke mob, with Alexandria Ocasio Cortez writing, “Let this front page serve as a reminder of how white supremacy is aided by — and often relies upon — the cowardice of mainstream institutions.”
Seriously? By rightly titling an article about the president’s renunciation of racism, bigotry, and white supremacy, the Times displayed “cowardice” and actually aided “white supremacy”? Really?
The real display of cowardice came when the Times’ second-print edition changed the headline to, “ASSAILING HATE BUT NOT GUNS.” (For the possible influence of Nate Silver’s tweet, differing with the initial headline, see here.)
Talk about wilting under pressure from the cancel culture. Talk about bowing down to the politically correct spirit of the age. Talk about the left, once again, eating its own.
It’s as if Animal Farm had its own newspaper.
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, Twitteror YouTube.


thestream--2020-07-26--Nick Sandmann Wasn’t Supposed to Survive. He Was Meant to End Up Like Mike Adams.

Nick Sandmann just turned 18 years old .
And he ’ s settling a $ 250 million lawsuit with major media outlets that libeled him .
Let ’ s send him our congratulations and prayers .
I was prepping Robert Oscar Lopez ’ s powerful piece on Mike Adams for publication when I realized something chilling .
Reading how the left hounded that talented writer to suicide ( if indeed he wasn ’ t murdered ) I heard in my head the media headline that never ran .
Thanks be to God .
That ’ s what the media mob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
When powerful reporters call a young man ’ s face “ the most punchable in America , ” that ’ s what they mean .
When columnists and activists propose “ doxing ” him , contacting every college he ever applies to , or job he tries to get , that ’ s what they mean .
When Sandmann ’ s own Catholic bishop threw him to the wolves , when his school suspended him , when “ conservative ” columnists at National Review and other venues denounced him as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off for life .
They were branding him on his face with the most destructive charge available in America .
The charge that ’ s now burning cities and getting Trump supporters murdered .
All for what crime , exactly ?
For waiting for a bus after a pro-life demonstration .
And smiling while white .
For Sandmann standing his ground , when some “ Indian tribal elder ” confronted him with a war drum .
Ah , but Sandmann and his friends were supposed to give way .
They should have taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form a human red carpet , so the “ tribal elder ” could walk all over them .
You know , as cops in Portland and Chicago are apparently ordered to do , in the face of violent mobs .
One leftist after another pointed out Sandmann ’ s unforgivable sin .
That he was smiling .
He didn ’ t look terrified , guilt-struck , or even enraged .
He was calm , confident , and amiable .
Perhaps those character traits are now part of “ white privilege , ” as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least a dozen columnists or reporters expatiate on that smile , comparing Sandmann to settlers who slaughtered Indians , or concentration camp guards .
Mike Adams ’ crime was similar .
He wrote with verve and humor .
He seemed like a happy warrior .
He didn ’ t cave at false charges , or wallow in synthetic guilt .
Nor twist himself into pretzels , as timid “ conservatives ” do , who are eager to placate the crocodiles by feeding them someone else .
Someone like Nick Sandmann .
Or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whom fellow conservatives turned on and turned out of Congress , based on false charges of racism .
The source ?
An unrecorded interview with a New York Times reporter .
Now the Times wouldn ’ t butcher a conservative congressman ’ s quote , you say to yourself .
It ’ s the “ newspaper of record.
” It told us all about Donald Trump ’ s career as a Russian agent , didn ’ t it ?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Or Stream columnist Mark Judge , who for some reason isn ’ t winning a $ 250 million defamation lawsuit against the network that accused him of leading a teenage rape gang .
Instead , he ’ s eking out a living , when he can .
Not one of the deep-pocketed conservative groups that fund-raised over helping to back Brett Kavanaugh are willing to give this talented writer a job .
His crime ?
Going to high school with Kavanaugh , and publishing a memoir the left used as a story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perjury .
( That ’ s where they got all the realistic-sounding details she repeated . )
You see , he ’ d admitted in the memoir that teenage alcoholism had caused him memory lapses .
That made Judge the perfect patsy , since if called before the Senate to testify he couldn ’ t convincingly refute the false charges against him .
“ Are you certain , Mr. Judge , that you and Judge Kavanaugh never gang-raped anyone ?
You yourself have admitted… .
” Or Bernell Trammell , a black Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As The New York Post reported : “ ‘ Because of Trammell ’ s well-known political activism and the possibility that his murder could be politically motivated , I respectfully request that United States Attorney Matthew Krueger open an investigation , ’ said Andrew Hitt , chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin , late Friday.
” When mayors turn their cities over to violent mobs , and only keep the police around to disarm honest citizens , this is what happens to those on the wrong side of the mob .
Expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sandmann Had Smiled in 2020 I ’ m relieved and delighted by the miracle that spared Nick Sandmann their fate .
Why did the left ’ s bullets miss him ?
A gang of rabid anti-white radicals — not Black Lives Matter , but the similarly unhinged Black Hebrew Israelites ( BHI ) — had been taunting , cursing and threatening the Covington boys for more than an hour .
The “ Indian tribal elder ” apparently joined in on the BHI ’ s side .
None of that would excuse Sandmann for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But through some divine intervention , one of the BHI thugs videotaped the whole encounter .
He posted it online .
That raw footage showed how crudely CNN and others had doctored their accounts of the confrontation .
No , the white teens hadn ’ t “ crowded ” or “ mobbed ” or surrounded the “ tribal elder.
” He ’ d marched up into their faces , banging a war drum .
And they ’ d simply stood their ground .
That was enough to flip the narrative surrounding Mr. Sandmann @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I really don ’ t think so .
Today , the media would render the white pro-lifers ’ simple refusal to kow-tow or take a knee as “ provocative white privilege.
” In 2020 , the black cult members would feel emboldened to simply attack Sandmann and his friends .
The police , badgered and threatened , would be far , far away , standing down at the mayor ’ s orders .
And even if the BHI had beaten the Covington boys to death , no TV network would air it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ where we stand in 2020 , as leftists verbally tap dance on Mike Adams ’ coffin .
I wish Mr. Sandmann well , and advise him to take his money and move somewhere sane , like Poland .
Maybe start a Catholic college there .
Because the kind of leftists who dug up Adams ’ columns from 20 years ago to goad him to his grave aren ’ t finished with Nick Sandmann .
They can ’ t forgive his innocence , his victory , or his smile .
They ’ re coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for me .
And then they ’ ll come for you and your kids .
Get yourself to the gun range .
Make friends there .
Organize local militias , to step in when the police ( afraid for their pensions ) meekly disband .
We don ’ t need two Americans like the McCloskeys in St. Louis , but two million or ten million .
That ’ s the only way this madness ends .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .
He ’ s co-author with Jason Jones of “ God , Guns , & the Government .
”

Editor’s note: See John Zmirak’s appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight, in which he discusses this article, here.
Nick Sandmann just turned 18 years old. And he’s settling a $250 million lawsuit with major media outlets that libeled him. Let’s send him our congratulations and prayers.
I was prepping Robert Oscar Lopez’s powerful piece on Mike Adams for publication when I realized something chilling. Reading how the left hounded that talented writer to suicide (if indeed he wasn’t murdered) I heard in my head the media headline that never ran. Thanks be to God.
“Racist Ringleader, Nicholas Sandmann, Dead at 17.”
That’s what the media mob wanted. They as good as admitted it. When powerful reporters call a young man’s face “the most punchable in America,” that’s what they mean. When columnists and activists propose “doxing” him, contacting every college he ever applies to, or job he tries to get, that’s what they mean.
When Sandmann’s own Catholic bishop threw him to the wolves, when his school suspended him, when “conservative” columnists at National Review and other venues denounced him as “bigoted,” they were writing him off for life. They were branding him on his face with the most destructive charge available in America. The charge that’s now burning cities and getting Trump supporters murdered.
Smiling While White
All for what crime, exactly? For waiting for a bus after a pro-life demonstration. And smiling while white. For Sandmann standing his ground, when some “Indian tribal elder” confronted him with a war drum. Ah, but Sandmann and his friends were supposed to give way. They should have taken a knee. Maybe flattened themselves to form a human red carpet, so the “tribal elder” could walk all over them. You know, as cops in Portland and Chicago are apparently ordered to do, in the face of violent mobs.
One leftist after another pointed out Sandmann’s unforgivable sin. That he was smiling. He didn’t look terrified, guilt-struck, or even enraged. He was calm, confident, and amiable. Perhaps those character traits are now part of “white privilege,” as the Smithsonian now explains. I read at least a dozen columnists or reporters expatiate on that smile, comparing Sandmann to settlers who slaughtered Indians, or concentration camp guards.
More Victims of Leftist Mobs
Mike Adams’ crime was similar. He wrote with verve and humor. He seemed like a happy warrior. He didn’t cave at false charges, or wallow in synthetic guilt. Nor twist himself into pretzels, as timid “conservatives” do, who are eager to placate the crocodiles by feeding them someone else. Someone like Nick Sandmann.
Or like pro-life stalwart Rep. Steve King, whom fellow conservatives turned on and turned out of Congress, based on false charges of racism. The source? An unrecorded interview with a New York Times reporter. Now the Times wouldn’t butcher a conservative congressman’s quote, you say to yourself. It’s the “newspaper of record.” It told us all about Donald Trump’s career as a Russian agent, didn’t it?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Or Stream columnist Mark Judge, who for some reason isn’t winning a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the network that accused him of leading a teenage rape gang. Instead, he’s eking out a living, when he can. Not one of the deep-pocketed conservative groups that fund-raised over helping to back Brett Kavanaugh are willing to give this talented writer a job. His crime?
Going to high school with Kavanaugh, and publishing a memoir the left used as a story bible for Christine Blasey Ford’s perjury. (That’s where they got all the realistic-sounding details she repeated.) You see, he’d admitted in the memoir that teenage alcoholism had caused him memory lapses. That made Judge the perfect patsy, since if called before the Senate to testify he couldn’t convincingly refute the false charges against him. “Are you certain, Mr. Judge, that you and Judge Kavanaugh never gang-raped anyone? You yourself have admitted… .”
Or Bernell Trammell, a black Trump supporter murdered this weekend in Milwaukee. As The New York Post reported: “‘Because of Trammell’s well-known political activism and the possibility that his murder could be politically motivated, I respectfully request that United States Attorney Matthew Krueger open an investigation,’ said Andrew Hitt, chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, late Friday.”
In 2020, the black cult members would feel emboldened to simply attack Sandmann and his friends. The police would stand down at the mayor’s orders. And even if the BHI had beaten the Covington boys to death, no TV network would air it. Not even Fox.
When mayors turn their cities over to violent mobs, and only keep the police around to disarm honest citizens, this is what happens to those on the wrong side of the mob. Expect more such murders soon.
If Nick Sandmann Had Smiled in 2020
I’m relieved and delighted by the miracle that spared Nick Sandmann their fate. Why did the left’s bullets miss him? A gang of rabid anti-white radicals — not Black Lives Matter, but the similarly unhinged Black Hebrew Israelites (BHI) — had been taunting, cursing and threatening the Covington boys for more than an hour. The “Indian tribal elder” apparently joined in on the BHI’s side. None of that would excuse Sandmann for smiling while white, of course. But through some divine intervention, one of the BHI thugs videotaped the whole encounter. He posted it online.
That raw footage showed how crudely CNN and others had doctored their accounts of the confrontation. No, the white teens hadn’t “crowded” or “mobbed” or surrounded the “tribal elder.” He’d marched up into their faces, banging a war drum. And they’d simply stood their ground.
That was enough to flip the narrative surrounding Mr. Sandmann. Would it be enough today? I really don’t think so. Today, the media would render the white pro-lifers’ simple refusal to kow-tow or take a knee as “provocative white privilege.” In 2020, the black cult members would feel emboldened to simply attack Sandmann and his friends. The police, badgered and threatened, would be far, far away, standing down at the mayor’s orders.
And even if the BHI had beaten the Covington boys to death, no TV network would air it. Not even Fox.
They’re Coming for Us
That’s where we stand in 2020, as leftists verbally tap dance on Mike Adams’ coffin. I wish Mr. Sandmann well, and advise him to take his money and move somewhere sane, like Poland. Maybe start a Catholic college there. Because the kind of leftists who dug up Adams’ columns from 20 years ago to goad him to his grave aren’t finished with Nick Sandmann. They can’t forgive his innocence, his victory, or his smile.
They’re coming for him. They’re coming for me. And then they’ll come for you and your kids.
Get yourself to the gun range. Make friends there. Organize local militias, to step in when the police (afraid for their pensions) meekly disband. We don’t need two Americans like the McCloskeys in St. Louis, but two million or ten million. That’s the only way this madness ends.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He’s co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”


thestream--2020-07-26--Alex Trebek Gets His Ultimate Question Right — But Then What?

Years ago when I was living in Pasadena I attended church with a man who ran the special effects electronics for Jeopardy !
He never gave me any behind-the-scenes info except some geeky electronic stuff .
Alex Trebek went a lot further with it in his autobiography released this week : The Answer Is… : Reflections on My Life.
“ It ’ s a fun read for any Jeopardy !
fan .
Did you know where the idea for the show came from ?
It was Jeopardy !
creator Merv Griffin ’ s wife who came up with it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the quiz show scandals of the 1950s , Merv was trying to come up with an idea for a new game show .
Julann suggested giving the contestants the answers .
‘ That ’ s what put people in jail !
’ Merv said .
Julann then gave him an example of how it would work .
I have heard two different stories about what she suggested as the first Jeopardy !
clue .
One version has her saying , “ The answer is 5,280 , ” and Merv asking , “ How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The other version has her saying , “ 79 Wistful Vista , ” and him asking , “ Where did Fibber McGee and Molly live ?
” Whichever one it was , it convinced Merv to pursue the idea .
And that ’ s how Jeopardy !
came to be .
Most of the book consists of quick , descriptive vignettes like that , starting from his earliest days in Sudbury , Ontario , to his first broadcasting jobs with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , to his 36 years hosting Jeopardy !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ long has some character .
Anyone who keeps his sanity that long in Hollywood that long is doing even better .
Trebek appears just as sane in the book as he does on his show , and just as likable .
He ’ s dying of pancreatic cancer .
In one behind-the-scenes story , he tells us how his staff see his pain and fatigue as he waits in his dressing room between show tapings , and they ’ re sure he ’ ll never make it through .
Something always kicks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage to warm up the audience , and for the duration of the show he does fine .
I ’ ve experienced that same strange lift myself , as a musician and public speaker .
It ’ s real .
I had to wonder , though , what Trebek thinks about what happens after death .
He left it hanging here : I believe there ’ s only one other place in the book where he spoke of himself other than in the first person .
That one was where he revealed something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pray for him — “ Trebek ” really does have a decision to make , and a dwindling opportunity to make it .
I ’ d want him to know a lot more about that decision , though .
He ’ s a world-class trivia master — which I say with all admiration , given how much I enjoy Jeopardy !
— but this isn ’ t trivia .
He ’ s the one on stage who always knows , but for this he ’ s still wondering .
He speaks of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s probably careless language on his part .
Surely he doesn ’ t think every person actually transitions into “ whatever future ” they believe in .
What happens after death is determined by a reality much larger than our beliefs could possibly control .
He thinks “ we are all part of the Great Soul — what some call God .
We are God , and God is us .
We are one with our maker .
How do I know this ?
It ’ s not that I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel it.
” A moment later he adds , “ Do I anticipate a particular version of the afterlife ?
No , I do not .
For all I know I ’ ll wind coming back in another life as a knitter during the French Revolution watching the executions.
” Now , there ’ s an arresting image .
It ’ s the kind of language that makes the book readable .
I suppose he knows that backwards time-travel is not a majority belief , even among those who believe in reincarnation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ how very , very little he knows about what ’ s next .
What he does believe about God , he “ feels ” rather than knows .
Yet He Still Could I wonder if anyone has ever explained to him how much more he could actually know .
God Himself has made it known , through His word and especially through Jesus Christ .
Christ ’ s life , death , and resurrection show us there ’ s more , much more to come , and for those who believe in Him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good .
And we can know it .
1 John 5:14-15 promises that knowledge .
( There are dozens of other sources ; this is just one of the clearest . )
We can know that we have eternal life , because Jesus Christ has made it known .
We simply have to accept it as His gift , through believing in Him .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
I know that raises the question , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bible itself is true ?
That ’ s a great question and an important one , but it would take much more space than I have here to answer it .
I ’ ll steer you instead to two books that tackle that question head on , and give a positive answer with strong supporting reasons .
One of those books is mine , and not coming out for another week or so , but early reviews confirm it ’ s readable and it answers the kinds of questions Trebek may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where everyone gets the answers right ; it ’ s the questions that make it a challenge .
Trebek ’ s question , “ What have you got to lose ?
” is a good one .
He still needs the right answers , though — answers that are found in Christ alone .
As super-contestant James Holzhauer once said , while making one of his signature “ true Double Jeopardy ” wagers , this one is for all the chips .
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of six books , including the forthcoming Too Good To Be False : How Jesus ’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality .

Years ago when I was living in Pasadena I attended church with a man who ran the special effects electronics for Jeopardy! He never gave me any behind-the-scenes info except some geeky electronic stuff. Alex Trebek went a lot further with it in his autobiography released this week: The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life.
It’s a fun read for any Jeopardy! fan. Did you know where the idea for the show came from? It was Jeopardy! creator Merv Griffin’s wife who came up with it.
As the story goes, shortly after the quiz show scandals of the 1950s, Merv was trying to come up with an idea for a new game show. Julann suggested giving the contestants the answers. ‘That’s what put people in jail!’ Merv said. Julann then gave him an example of how it would work. I have heard two different stories about what she suggested as the first Jeopardy! clue. One version has her saying, “The answer is 5,280,” and Merv asking, “How many feet are in a mile?” The other version has her saying, “79 Wistful Vista,” and him asking, “Where did Fibber McGee and Molly live?” Whichever one it was, it convinced Merv to pursue the idea. And that’s how Jeopardy! came to be.
Most of the book consists of quick, descriptive vignettes like that, starting from his earliest days in Sudbury, Ontario, to his first broadcasting jobs with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, to his 36 years hosting Jeopardy!
Anyone who holds the same job that long has some character. Anyone who keeps his sanity that long in Hollywood that long is doing even better. Trebek appears just as sane in the book as he does on his show, and just as likable.
Facing Death
He’s dying of pancreatic cancer. In one behind-the-scenes story, he tells us how his staff see his pain and fatigue as he waits in his dressing room between show tapings, and they’re sure he’ll never make it through. Something always kicks in, though, when he gets on stage to warm up the audience, and for the duration of the show he does fine. I’ve experienced that same strange lift myself, as a musician and public speaker. It’s real.
I had to wonder, though, what Trebek thinks about what happens after death. He left it hanging here:
If there ever was an opportunity to believe in God — a god — this might be a good one, Trebek, now that you’re on the verge. What have you got to lose?
I believe there’s only one other place in the book where he spoke of himself other than in the first person. That one was where he revealed something surprising about himself in chapter one.
Pray for him — “Trebek” really does have a decision to make, and a dwindling opportunity to make it.
I’d want him to know a lot more about that decision, though. He’s a world-class trivia master — which I say with all admiration, given how much I enjoy Jeopardy! — but this isn’t trivia. He’s the one on stage who always knows, but for this he’s still wondering. He speaks of the likelihood of hospice in his future.
They want to make it as easy as it can be for you to transition into whatever future you believe in.
That’s probably careless language on his part. Surely he doesn’t think every person actually transitions into “whatever future” they believe in. What happens after death is determined by a reality much larger than our beliefs could possibly control.
He Doesn’t Know
He thinks “we are all part of the Great Soul — what some call God. We are God, and God is us. We are one with our maker. How do I know this? It’s not that I know it. It’s that I feel it.” A moment later he adds, “Do I anticipate a particular version of the afterlife? No, I do not. For all I know I’ll wind coming back in another life as a knitter during the French Revolution watching the executions.”
Now, there’s an arresting image. It’s the kind of language that makes the book readable. I suppose he knows that backwards time-travel is not a majority belief, even among those who believe in reincarnation. I think he’s just emphasizing how very, very little he knows about what’s next. What he does believe about God, he “feels” rather than knows.
Yet He Still Could
I wonder if anyone has ever explained to him how much more he could actually know. God Himself has made it known, through His word and especially through Jesus Christ. Christ’s life, death, and resurrection show us there’s more, much more to come, and for those who believe in Him, it’s very, very good.
And we can know it. 1 John 5:14-15 promises that knowledge. (There are dozens of other sources; this is just one of the clearest.) We can know that we have eternal life, because Jesus Christ has made it known. We simply have to accept it as His gift, through believing in Him.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
I know that raises the question, how do we know that anything in the Bible itself is true? That’s a great question and an important one, but it would take much more space than I have here to answer it. I’ll steer you instead to two books that tackle that question head on, and give a positive answer with strong supporting reasons.
One of those books is mine, and not coming out for another week or so, but early reviews confirm it’s readable and it answers the kinds of questions Trebek may be asking.
Jeopardy! is the show where everyone gets the answers right; it’s the questions that make it a challenge. Trebek’s question, “What have you got to lose?” is a good one. He still needs the right answers, though — answers that are found in Christ alone. As super-contestant James Holzhauer once said, while making one of his signature “true Double Jeopardy” wagers, this one is for all the chips.
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books, including the forthcoming Too Good To Be False: How Jesus’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality.


thestream--2020-07-28--In Defense of Giants’ Pitcher Sam Coonrod

Years back , I used to blog about baseball , and about the St. Louis Cardinals in particular .
My writings eventually caught on and I even got to write freelance for a few popular sports publications .
I was kind of a big deal ( not really ) but eventually gave it up as my family grew .
Back then , anytime a baseball writer would venture off into politics or religion you ’ d always get hit with a “ stick to sports ” over social media .
Well , I quit sticking to sports since I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apologetics .
Sports itself has also quit sticking with sports in the past few years .
And I ’ m not saying that ’ s an entirely bad thing .
But this past weekend was Opening Day Weekend .
Christmas in July , considering the pandemic put all sports on hold for a ridiculously long period of time .
Meaningful baseball games were starting again and I think we could agree we could all use a distraction from the news during this time of pandemic and protests .
But in light of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , MLB went woke on Opening Day .
The Red Sox put a huge “ Black Lives Matter ” sign in Fenway Park .
BLM was etched into many mounds .
Players knelt for the anthem .
This included the entire San Francisco Giants team – with the exception of pitcher Sam Coonrod .
When asked by reports why he stood , he said it was based on his Christian convictions .
As you can imagine , this didn ’ t go over really big .
Monte Pool , a baseball writer for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So did Coonrod really opt out of humanity ?
Does Poole really think Coonrod is racist ?
What did Coonrod actually say ?
Coonrod in His Own Words Let ’ s listen to Coonrod in his own words : Coonrod was no doubt referring to comments made by Black Lives Matters ’ founder Patrice Cullors .
In a video , she said , “ we are trained Marxists.
” They ’ ve also had other leaders say they want to burn down the current system and replace it , which is a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ pitcher probably was also referring to BLM ’ s “ What We Believe ” page that says “ We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘ villages ’ that collectively care for one another.
” Poole says that ’ s all fine and good for not wanting to take BLM ’ s ideology all the way .
He wrote : So here ’ s where I ’ m having some trouble .
Marxism is responsible for 100,000 million deaths .
This includes millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ martyrdoms .
For many Christians , the hammer and sickle are offensive in a similar way many are offended by the bars and stars .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Espousing the philosophy of Marx , the man who wrote the Communist Manifesto , should be offensive to any rational person who has read a history book .
Christians can ’ t get behind a philosophy that teaches that religion is the opium of the masses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the first requisite for the happiness of the people.
” Marxism is antithetical to the Christian worldview .
Full-stop .
Coonrod isn ’ t swimming against the tide of progress , he ’ s refusing to float downstream into the sorrows and horrors where Marxism always eventually leads .
And on top of that , BLM says that in the name of justice they want to “ disrupt the nuclear family , ” which is the very first institution God ever ordained .
Many of the problems that plague society today are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way God intended .
I can ’ t speak for Coonrod , but I can speak for myself .
When the entire league is pushing Black Lives Matter , you ’ d find yourself in an awkward spot as a Christian player .
This is because their slogan is something that every Christian should accept .
Consider the following argument : • P1 – God loves and ascribes unsurpassable value and worth to human beings .
( 1 Peter 1:18-19 , Psalm 8:5-9 ) • C – Therefore God loves and ascribes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and women .
No Christian should find this argument controversial.There ’ s no room for racism in Christ .
Paul famously wrote to the Galatians : “ There is no longer Jew or Gentile , slave or free , male and female .
For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
” ( Gal .
3:28 ) And you don ’ t have to study American history for long to see that black men and women haven ’ t always been treated as if they matter .
There have been massive injustices from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Breonna Taylor , George Floyd , and many others .
The disproportionality of how blacks have been treated unjustly should concern us deeply .
And no one can call themselves a Christian and fuel or condone hatred .
( 1 John 3:15 ) But here ’ s the rub — you have an organization promoting anti-Christian values saying you can ’ t reject their ideology and say their slogan .
For BLM , Marxism is the cure for racism .
And this is wrong .
Let me illustrate this in a couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the world unite ” is hardly a controversial statement .
Especially in the days when Communism was starting to catch on .
Labor was being treated like garbage .
There were terrible working conditions , no minimum working age , and poor wages .
That should make a person with a working conscience concerned about the state of labor .
So yeah , sure , workers of the world should unite .
But parroting that slogan is just parroting Marxist propaganda .
You can agree with the slogan but , yikes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horrible agenda .
Should Christians back then have been parroting Marxist slogans ?
Can ’ t we find better ways to help the poor and exploited than abolishing all private property and toppling authority through a revolution of the masses ?
So you can ’ t force people into a corner and say “ say the slogan with us or you hate labor !
” To use another illustration , imagine if there was a pro-life group called Unborn Lives Matter .
It ’ s a fine slogan , but there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , let ’ s just say that this organization was started by Steven Anderson , a well-known hate preacher who wishes all homosexuals and transgenders dead .
Traditional Christians might have some disagreements with the homosexual or transgender lifestyle , but sane believers with the love of God “ shed abroad in their heart ” certainly don ’ t want to murder people over it .
( Rom 5:5 ) So even if the phrase “ Unborn Lives Matter ” is a good slogan that any pro-life person should get on board with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s impossible to parrot their propaganda without being complicit in it .
People would be rightly offended by those plastering it all over the place .
There are better ways to fight abortion , just like there are better ways to fight racial injustice and police brutality than being pressured to kneel with your teammates and coaches with “ BLM ” etched on the pitching mound .
Coonrod said that he kneels only for God and can not in good conscience support a cultural movement that so many are unthinkingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t necessarily make him a racist .
We ’ d have to look at his other actions or words to prove that .
Kneeling or saying “ Black Lives Matter ” doesn ’ t automatically make someone anti-racist .
But standing up for your convictions knowing it will generate confusion and anger does take courage .
The Giants put their pitcher in a no-win situation .
Sports leagues and teams who go “ woke ” end up forcing Christian athletes into either compromising or becoming a lightning rod for the rage mob .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Director located in Cedar Rapids , Iowa .
He ’ s a former freelance baseball writer and the co-owner of a vintage and handmade decor business with his wife , Dawn .
He is passionate about the intersection of apologetics and evangelism .

Years back, I used to blog about baseball, and about the St. Louis Cardinals in particular. My writings eventually caught on and I even got to write freelance for a few popular sports publications. I was kind of a big deal (not really) but eventually gave it up as my family grew.
Back then, anytime a baseball writer would venture off into politics or religion you’d always get hit with a “stick to sports” over social media. Well, I quit sticking to sports since I’ve picked up writing on Christianity and apologetics. Sports itself has also quit sticking with sports in the past few years. And I’m not saying that’s an entirely bad thing.
But this past weekend was Opening Day Weekend. Christmas in July, considering the pandemic put all sports on hold for a ridiculously long period of time. Meaningful baseball games were starting again and I think we could agree we could all use a distraction from the news during this time of pandemic and protests.
But in light of the racial protests, like many other corporations, MLB went woke on Opening Day. The Red Sox put a huge “Black Lives Matter” sign in Fenway Park. BLM was etched into many mounds. Players knelt for the anthem. This included the entire San Francisco Giants team – with the exception of pitcher Sam Coonrod.
When asked by reports why he stood, he said it was based on his Christian convictions. As you can imagine, this didn’t go over really big. Monte Pool, a baseball writer for NBC Sports excoriated Coonrod, saying:
When did real Christianity opt-out of humanity? Give a pass to injustice and inequality? Decide that it’s disrespectful to offer support, if not shelter, to those in need? Does Coonrod not realize that pastors of all faiths are joining crowds around the world fighting for these very ideals?
So did Coonrod really opt out of humanity? Does Poole really think Coonrod is racist? What did Coonrod actually say?
Coonrod in His Own Words
Let’s listen to Coonrod in his own words:
I’m a Christian, like I said, and I just can’t get on board with a couple of things that I have read about Black Lives Matter. How they lean toward Marxism and they’ve said some negative things about the nuclear family. I just can’t get on board with that.
Coonrod was no doubt referring to comments made by Black Lives Matters’ founder Patrice Cullors. In a video, she said, “we are trained Marxists.” They’ve also had other leaders say they want to burn down the current system and replace it, which is a very Marxist thing to say.
The Giants’ pitcher probably was also referring to BLM’s “What We Believe” page that says “We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another.”
Kneel or You’re Racist?
Poole says that’s all fine and good for not wanting to take BLM’s ideology all the way. He wrote:
Like so many others swimming against the tide of progress, Coonrod pointed to the Black Lives Matter network, saying he “just can’t get on board” with some of its beliefs. Nothing wrong with that. Again, having such a choice is among the purposes of freedom. But if Coonrod had taken a moment to inform himself, he would see the motive behind this movement need not be affiliated with BLM but, rather, to bring greater awareness to the racial injustices that is its focus.
So here’s where I’m having some trouble. Marxism is responsible for 100,000 million deaths. This includes millions and millions of Christian deaths and many martyrdoms. For many Christians, the hammer and sickle are offensive in a similar way many are offended by the bars and stars.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Espousing the philosophy of Marx, the man who wrote the Communist Manifesto, should be offensive to any rational person who has read a history book. Christians can’t get behind a philosophy that teaches that religion is the opium of the masses or that the elimination of faith is “the first requisite for the happiness of the people.” Marxism is antithetical to the Christian worldview. Full-stop. Coonrod isn’t swimming against the tide of progress, he’s refusing to float downstream into the sorrows and horrors where Marxism always eventually leads.
And on top of that, BLM says that in the name of justice they want to “disrupt the nuclear family,” which is the very first institution God ever ordained. Many of the problems that plague society today are due to the nuclear family not functioning the way God intended.
Coonrod and the Catch-22
I can’t speak for Coonrod, but I can speak for myself. When the entire league is pushing Black Lives Matter, you’d find yourself in an awkward spot as a Christian player. This is because their slogan is something that every Christian should accept. Consider the following argument:
P1 – God loves and ascribes unsurpassable value and worth to human beings. (1 Peter 1:18-19, Psalm 8:5-9)
P2 – Black men and women are human beings.
C – Therefore God loves and ascribes unsurpassable value and worth to black men and women.
No Christian should find this argument controversial.There’s no room for racism in Christ. Paul famously wrote to the Galatians: “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28)
And you don’t have to study American history for long to see that black men and women haven’t always been treated as if they matter. There have been massive injustices from slavery to Jim Crow to what happened to Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and many others. The disproportionality of how blacks have been treated unjustly should concern us deeply. And no one can call themselves a Christian and fuel or condone hatred. (1 John 3:15)
Black Lives Matter — A Good Slogan, a Terrible Organization
But here’s the rub — you have an organization promoting anti-Christian values saying you can’t reject their ideology and say their slogan. For BLM, Marxism is the cure for racism. And this is wrong. Let me illustrate this in a couple of ways:
The slogan “workers of the world unite” is hardly a controversial statement. Especially in the days when Communism was starting to catch on. Labor was being treated like garbage. There were terrible working conditions, no minimum working age, and poor wages. That should make a person with a working conscience concerned about the state of labor.
So yeah, sure, workers of the world should unite. But parroting that slogan is just parroting Marxist propaganda. You can agree with the slogan but, yikes, the group promoting it is pushing a horrible agenda. Should Christians back then have been parroting Marxist slogans? Can’t we find better ways to help the poor and exploited than abolishing all private property and toppling authority through a revolution of the masses? So you can’t force people into a corner and say “say the slogan with us or you hate labor!”
There are better ways to fight racial injustice and police brutality than being pressured to kneel with your teammates and coaches.
To use another illustration, imagine if there was a pro-life group called Unborn Lives Matter. It’s a fine slogan, but there’s a problem. In this fictional world, let’s just say that this organization was started by Steven Anderson, a well-known hate preacher who wishes all homosexuals and transgenders dead.
Traditional Christians might have some disagreements with the homosexual or transgender lifestyle, but sane believers with the love of God “shed abroad in their heart” certainly don’t want to murder people over it. (Rom 5:5) So even if the phrase “Unborn Lives Matter” is a good slogan that any pro-life person should get on board with, if the organization is promoting hate, it’s impossible to parrot their propaganda without being complicit in it. People would be rightly offended by those plastering it all over the place.
Coonrod’s Stance Took Courage
There are better ways to fight abortion, just like there are better ways to fight racial injustice and police brutality than being pressured to kneel with your teammates and coaches with “BLM” etched on the pitching mound.
Coonrod said that he kneels only for God and cannot in good conscience support a cultural movement that so many are unthinkingly falling into. But that doesn’t necessarily make him a racist. We’d have to look at his other actions or words to prove that.
Kneeling or saying “Black Lives Matter” doesn’t automatically make someone anti-racist. But standing up for your convictions knowing it will generate confusion and anger does take courage.
The Giants put their pitcher in a no-win situation. Sports leagues and teams who go “woke” end up forcing Christian athletes into either compromising or becoming a lightning rod for the rage mob.
Erik Manning is a Reasonable Faith Chapter Director located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He’s a former freelance baseball writer and the co-owner of a vintage and handmade decor business with his wife, Dawn. He is passionate about the intersection of apologetics and evangelism.
Originally published at IsJesusAlive.com. Reprinted with permission.


thestream--2020-07-28--Military Photo of the Day: The USS Vella Gulf Sails the Persian Gulf

The U.S. Navy USS Vella Gulf recently travels across the Persian Gulf .
Thank you to this ship ’ s @ @ @ @ @ our freedom overseas .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About @ @ @ @ @ Moral Issues of Our Day .

The U.S. Navy USS Vella Gulf recently travels across the Persian Gulf.
Thank you to this ship’s command and crew for defending our freedom overseas.
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