thestream--2020-05-05--FFRF Co-President Emails The Stream on Why the ‘Collapse’ of Churches Would Do No Harm, Offers Warpe

FFRF Co-President Emails The Stream on Why the ‘Collapse’ of Churches Would Do No Harm, Offers Warped View of Reality

Last week I reported on the Freedom from Religion Foundation ’ s astonishing statement , “ The collapse of clergy or churches would in no genuine way impair this country.
” That claim , made by co-presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker , set a new record for atheist irrationality , or so I said at the time .
Yesterday I emailed them , letting them know I represented The Stream , and asking for clarification .
“ A statement like that seems surprising , ” I wrote to them , “ in view of churches ’ widespread community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental health needs , helping with disaster cleanup and recovery , and so on.
” Co-president Gaylor responded .
It was informative , to be sure .
Her answer came in basically three parts .
First , churches don ’ t do all that much good .
Second , churches get special government privileges her atheist group doesn ’ t get .
And third , it doesn ’ t require a church to do good .
I agree with her second point , actually , except I see good reasons for it that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take a longer explanation in an article yet to come .
For now I ’ ll comment on her completely distorted first point , and her utterly astonishing third .
For she ’ s right : It doesn ’ t require a church to do good .
But the way she makes her point there is really quite jaw-dropping .
Point 1 : Churches Don ’ t Do That Much Good She does admit that churches do some good , and even applauds them for it .
Good for her .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think they do very much good , considering all the money they bring in .
Churches get “ the largest share ” of charitable giving , she notes : “ 31 % of all donations.
” Quoting a 2017 Atlantic article , she told me , “ the median amount congregations spent on social-service programs was $ 1,500.
” Doesn ’ t sound like much , does it ?
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Not only that , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ personnel , buildings , and administration… consume 82 percent of the average church ’ s budget.
” And from the same report , “ churches use 3 percent of their budget for children ’ s and youth programs , and 2 percent for adult programs.
” What a waste !
That ’ s the implication .
But this is selective data , very badly cherry-picked to support preconceived notions .
How Much Giving , Though , Really ?
It ’ s very hard to find good data on church social-service giving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to file Form 990 giving reports .
The article in The Atlantic that Gaylor referred to draws from probably one of the better sources .
She should have read it .
It ’ s a broad survey of churches conducted by Mark Chaves and Alison J. Eagle , whose “ basic observation , ” they said , is that So that $ 1,500 median-church figure isn ’ t the whole story .
But even that number can be misleading , since the median church size in America is only 75 people , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 186 people , and undoubtedly gives much more than $ 1,500 toward social services .
For the record , I ’ d rather median church social-service giving was more than $ 1,500 myself , but it ’ s certainly not the nothing that Gaylor and Barker suggested it was .
Also for the record , though , the Chaves and Eagle report appears ( without explicitly saying so ) to be discussing only local social services .
Churches give internationally as well .
It Isn ’ t Only About “ Giving Dollars ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t tell the whole story .
Chaves and Eagle write , And neither is it only about money directed strictly toward social services .
Remember Gaylor ’ s complaint about the huge proportion of dollars spent on personnel , buildings , and administration , while only 2 to 3 percent of funds go to youth or adult programs ?
I ’ ve been in a good number of churches , and I ’ ve yet to find one where ministries to adults and children occupied only 2 to 3 percent of personnel time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as if Gaylor thinks staff time , and a place to meet , are irrelevant to church programs !
Maybe in some alternate reality .
Not so where the rest of us live .
Further , Chaves and Eagle reported that one-in-six churches have at least one staff member who works on social services at least a quarter of the time .
That ’ s part of that 82 % number she thought was so outrageous .
Time for another reality check there .
Gaylor went on to applaud “ any charitable work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but noted that the real work gets done through public funding , even when churches do it .
“ Religion gets the credit , taxpayers get the bill.
” She quotes no source for that information .
Again , though , she really should have read the Chaves and Eagle report , which says , “ Fewer than 2 % of congregations received any government financial support of their social service programs and projects within the past year.
” Her numbers are off .
Her reality is off .
She also ignores the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and yes , spiritual support churches provide to millions of people .
Maybe it ’ s because she discounts it .
Certainly she wouldn ’ t think much of the spiritual side of it .
In that light , though , I have trouble understanding why she thought her final point would impress me much : “ Who says , atheists don ’ t found charities ?
” Her own mother co-founded the Women ’ s Medical Fund , she says .
It ’ s “ believed to be the longest continuously operating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Truly making a difference in the lives of individuals and in society.
” And she thinks that counts in her group ’ s favor as a social service ?
That she can rattle it off so blithely that way , expecting the world to agree ?
That ’ s just astonishing .
Then I say churches can also claim the massive good they do through mental health counseling , family support , divorce care , addiction recovery , grief care , giving and service opportunities , and small-group relational connections .
Literally thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good that does .
And yes , there ’ s also the one greatest good churches offer : new life in Jesus Christ .
She doesn ’ t have to agree that all of that is good .
I don ’ t exactly agree with her on the so-called “ good ” of abortion .
Still Living in an Alternate Reality I wrote last time that I considered Gaylor and Barker ’ s indifference toward a hypothetical “ collapse ” of clergy and church to be “ unhinged ” and “ bordering on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know , yet I thought they were justified .
Nevertheless I offered them a chance to clarify , which Annie Laurie Gaylor very graciously did .
It ’ s clearer now than ever , though : She and the Freedom from Religion Foundation clearly live in a distorted realm of cherry-picked data , supporting extreme bias .
It ’ s a strange alternate reality , I ’ m sad to say .
And it ’ s not looking any saner now than I thought it was at first .
Tom Gilson ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with The Stream , and the author of A Christian Mind : Thoughts on Life and Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical Conversations : A Christian Parent ’ s Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens , and the lead editor of True Reason : Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism .

Last week I reported on the Freedom from Religion Foundation’s astonishing statement, “The collapse of clergy or churches would in no genuine way impair this country.” That claim, made by co-presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker, set a new record for atheist irrationality, or so I said at the time.
Yesterday I emailed them, letting them know I represented The Stream, and asking for clarification. “A statement like that seems surprising,” I wrote to them, “in view of churches’ widespread community participation in feeding the homeless, serving mental health needs, helping with disaster cleanup and recovery, and so on.”
Co-president Gaylor responded. It was informative, to be sure. Her answer came in basically three parts. First, churches don’t do all that much good. Second, churches get special government privileges her atheist group doesn’t get. And third, it doesn’t require a church to do good.
I agree with her second point, actually, except I see good reasons for it that she doesn’t. That will take a longer explanation in an article yet to come. For now I’ll comment on her completely distorted first point, and her utterly astonishing third. For she’s right: It doesn’t require a church to do good. But the way she makes her point there is really quite jaw-dropping.
Point 1: Churches Don’t Do That Much Good
She does admit that churches do some good, and even applauds them for it. Good for her. But it’s clear she doesn’t think they do very much good, considering all the money they bring in.
Churches get “the largest share” of charitable giving, she notes: “31% of all donations.” Quoting a 2017 Atlantic article, she told me, “the median amount congregations spent on social-service programs was $1,500.” Doesn’t sound like much, does it?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Not only that, from a blog post she’s found that “personnel, buildings, and administration… consume 82 percent of the average church’s budget.” And from the same report, “churches use 3 percent of their budget for children’s and youth programs, and 2 percent for adult programs.” What a waste! That’s the implication.
But this is selective data, very badly cherry-picked to support preconceived notions.
How Much Giving, Though, Really?
It’s very hard to find good data on church social-service giving, as churches don’t have to file Form 990 giving reports. The article in The Atlantic that Gaylor referred to draws from probably one of the better sources. She should have read it. It’s a broad survey of churches conducted by Mark Chaves and Alison J. Eagle, whose “basic observation,” they said, is that
congregations’ level of social service involvement compares favorably to levels of effort observed in other organizations whose main purpose, like congregations, is something other than charity or social service. In what other set of organizations whose primary purpose is something other than charity or social service do the vast majority engage in at least some social service, however peripherally? In what other organizational population do as many as 52% somehow help to feed the hungry, 17% distribute clothing, 12% serve the homeless, or 14% have staff devoting at least a quarter of their time to social service activities?
So that $1,500 median-church figure isn’t the whole story. But even that number can be misleading, since the median church size in America is only 75 people, including children. The average church has about 186 people, and undoubtedly gives much more than $1,500 toward social services.
Her numbers are off. Her reality is off.
For the record, I’d rather median church social-service giving was more than $1,500 myself, but it’s certainly not the nothing that Gaylor and Barker suggested it was. Also for the record, though, the Chaves and Eagle report appears (without explicitly saying so) to be discussing only local social services. Churches give internationally as well.
It Isn’t Only About “Giving Dollars”
And besides that, dollars don’t tell the whole story. Chaves and Eagle write,
The typical and probably most important way in which congregations pursue social service activity is not with direct financial contributions. It is by organizing small groups of volunteers to carry out well-defined tasks on a periodic basis. Examples abound: fifteen people spending several Saturdays renovating a house, five people cooking and serving dinner to the homeless one night a week, ten young people spending a summer week painting a school, ten people traveling to the sight of a natural disaster to provide assistance for a week, a couple of dozen people raising money in a Crop Walk, and so on. … Congregations are very good—perhaps uniquely good in American society—at mobilizing volunteers for this kind of work, work that usually is done, not incidentally, in collaboration with other congregations or service organizations rather than alone.
And neither is it only about money directed strictly toward social services. Remember Gaylor’s complaint about the huge proportion of dollars spent on personnel, buildings, and administration, while only 2 to 3 percent of funds go to youth or adult programs? I’ve been in a good number of churches, and I’ve yet to find one where ministries to adults and children occupied only 2 to 3 percent of personnel time or building space. It’s as if Gaylor thinks staff time, and a place to meet, are irrelevant to church programs! Maybe in some alternate reality. Not so where the rest of us live.
Further, Chaves and Eagle reported that one in six churches have at least one staff member who works on social services at least a quarter of the time. That’s part of that 82% number she thought was so outrageous. Time for another reality check there.
Public Funding for Church Work?
Gaylor went on to applaud “any charitable work by churches and religious groups,” but noted that the real work gets done through public funding, even when churches do it. “Religion gets the credit, taxpayers get the bill.” She quotes no source for that information. Again, though, she really should have read the Chaves and Eagle report, which says, “Fewer than 2% of congregations received any government financial support of their social service programs and projects within the past year.”
Her numbers are off. Her reality is off.
Other Charitable Benefits, Other Realities
She also ignores the significant emotional, relational, social, and yes, spiritual support churches provide to millions of people. Maybe it’s because she discounts it. Certainly she wouldn’t think much of the spiritual side of it. In that light, though, I have trouble understanding why she thought her final point would impress me much: “Who says, atheists don’t found charities?” Her own mother co-founded the Women’s Medical Fund, she says. It’s “believed to be the longest continuously operating abortion fund in the nation. … Truly making a difference in the lives of individuals and in society.”
And she thinks that counts in her group’s favor as a social service? That she can rattle it off so blithely that way, expecting the world to agree? That’s just astonishing.
Then I say churches can also claim the massive good they do through mental health counseling, family support, divorce care, addiction recovery, grief care, giving and service opportunities, and small-group relational connections. Literally thousands of mental health studies support the real good that does. And yes, there’s also the one greatest good churches offer: new life in Jesus Christ.
She doesn’t have to agree that all of that is good. I don’t exactly agree with her on the so-called “good” of abortion.
Still Living in an Alternate Reality
I wrote last time that I considered Gaylor and Barker’s indifference toward a hypothetical “collapse” of clergy and church to be “unhinged” and “bordering on insanity.” Those were strong words, I know, yet I thought they were justified. Nevertheless I offered them a chance to clarify, which Annie Laurie Gaylor very graciously did. It’s clearer now than ever, though: She and the Freedom from Religion Foundation clearly live in a distorted realm of cherry-picked data, supporting extreme bias.
It’s a strange alternate reality, I’m sad to say. And it’s not looking any saner now than I thought it was at first.
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream, and the author of A Christian Mind: Thoughts on Life and Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical Conversations: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens, and the lead editor of True Reason: Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism.


thestream--2020-05-05--With No Lawyer or Public Relations Rep and Little Backing From Prominent Women’s Groups, Tara Reade

With No Lawyer or Public Relations Rep and Little Backing From Prominent Women’s Groups, Tara Reade Stands Alone

Joe Biden accuser Tara Reade is facing the former vice president ’ s presidential campaign and the Democratic establishment without the type of pro-bono legal and public relations support that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford received .
A prominent legal defense fund that was established in the wake of the # MeToo movement told Reade in February that it couldn ’ t support her because it would put its charitable status at risk .
Reade has said she hasn ’ t received any offers for pro-bono public relations support to handle the deluge of reporter inquiries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her allegation against Biden picked up steam in national media .
All the while , Reade said she has resisted opening up a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe as she holds out for an offer of pro-bono support in her allegations of sexual assault against the former vice president .
“ I am hopeful that if anyone wants to assist with PR and legal services as needed it would be pro-bono , ” Reade told the Daily Caller News Foundation .
“ I realized that I am outside the civil and criminal statutes so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of actions that a lawyer would want to take other than just helping with PR and just making sure there aren ’ t libelous claims against me , ” Reade said .
“ I could use some support with that.
” Reade has accused Biden of kissing her , touching her and penetrating her with his fingers without her consent when she worked for him as a Senate staffer in 1993 .
Both Biden and his campaign have denied Reade ’ s allegations several times , and Biden issued a request Friday to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locate and make public any complaint that Reade may have filed .
He is continuing to work with the Senate to locate such a document .
Offers for free full-time legal and public relations support have yet to come her way , Reade told the DCNF .
In contrast , Ford received pro-bono legal and public relations support from two prominent lawyers to support her as she accused Kavanaugh of sexually harassing her at a house party in 1982 .
One of Ford ’ s lawyers , Michael Bromwich , went as far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a distinguished Washington D.C. law firm so he could focus his efforts exclusively on representing Kavanaugh ’ s accuser .
The Time ’ s Up Legal Defense Fund , which has committed over $ 10 million to support women alleging sexual harassment in the workplace , told Reade in February that its charitable status would be put at risk if it financially supported her because Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president .
Time ’ s Up is operated by the National Women ’ s Law Center ( NWLC ) , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and as such is “ restricted in how it can spend its funds , including restrictions that pertain to candidates running for election , ” NWLC spokeswoman Maria Patrick told The Intercept .
Time ’ s Up did provide Reade with a list of lawyers , but Reade told The New York Times that none of the recommended lawyers were willing to take her case .
Reade said that she has reached out to attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks , who represented Blasey Ford , without response .
Katz and Banks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment from the DCNF as to why they are representing ousted vaccine expert Dr. Rick Bright instead of Reade .
Other prominent women ’ s groups that rallied behind Ford stayed silent on Reade ’ s allegations for weeks after she came forward .
Planned Parenthood Action broke its silence on Reade ’ s allegations against Biden in a Thursday night press release that did not mention Reade by name .
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Faith .
And No Fear .
“ Any person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest office in the land — needs to address allegations of sexual assault and harassment seriously , both as a systemic problem and with a sense of personal responsibility , ” Planned Parenthood acting President Alexis McGill Johnson said .
“ We all have much work to do to make our country a safer place , free of sexual violence.
” Following Biden ’ s appearance on MSNBC Friday denying Reade ’ s allegations , Planned Parenthood Action issued a second press release in which the organization praised Biden ’ s past record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue to push this conversation , and our country , forward.
” In contrast , Planned Parenthood released a statement condemning Kavanaugh the same day Ford came forward with her allegations of sexual assault .
The organization rallied behind Ford , organized a “ National Walkout ” to support her , created a promotional video criticizing Kavanaugh and issued repeated press releases and tweets praising Ford ’ s courage .
The National Abortion Right ’ s Action League ( NARAL ) and Emily ’ s List released a joint statement on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that emphasized the importance of recognizing survivors and criticized President Donald Trump .
But the joint statement did not detail Reade ’ s allegations .
“ Just as Biden has listened and led in the past on the Violence Against Women Act , we now need him to lead us forward to create the sort of systems where survivors ’ claims are taken seriously and justice and healing are possible , ” Ilyse Hogue , president of NARAL Pro-Choice America , and Stephanie Schriock , president of EMILY ’ s List , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and EMILY ’ s List tweeted extensively in support of Blasey Ford , but neither organization has referenced Reade by name on the social media platform .
Other women ’ s groups have said Biden needs to do more to address Reade ’ s allegations .
The Rape , Abuse & Incest National Network ( RAINN ) pointed out that Biden was slow to respond to Reade ’ s allegations in a press release Friday .
“ We appreciate Vice President Biden finally addressing Tara Reade ’ s allegations , ” said vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These allegations deserve a rigorous investigation , and we urge Vice President Biden to release any and all records that may be relevant , including those housed at the University of Delaware , in addition to any Senate records housed at the National Archives.
” And the advocacy group UltraViolet noted in a press release Friday that “ It was right for Joe Biden to directly address this issue and he has more to do.
” “ For far too many women , the pursuit of justice against their abusers is nearly impossible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Shaunna Thomas , co-founder and executive director of UltraViolet .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Joe Biden accuser Tara Reade is facing the former vice president’s presidential campaign and the Democratic establishment without the type of pro-bono legal and public relations support that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford received.
A prominent legal defense fund that was established in the wake of the #MeToo movement told Reade in February that it couldn’t support her because it would put its charitable status at risk. Reade has said she hasn’t received any offers for pro-bono public relations support to handle the deluge of reporter inquiries she has received in the weeks since her allegation against Biden picked up steam in national media.
All the while, Reade said she has resisted opening up a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe as she holds out for an offer of pro-bono support in her allegations of sexual assault against the former vice president.
“I am hopeful that if anyone wants to assist with PR and legal services as needed it would be pro-bono,” Reade told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“I realized that I am outside the civil and criminal statutes so, there’s not a lot of actions that a lawyer would want to take other than just helping with PR and just making sure there aren’t libelous claims against me,” Reade said. “I could use some support with that.”
Reade has accused Biden of kissing her, touching her and penetrating her with his fingers without her consent when she worked for him as a Senate staffer in 1993.
Both Biden and his campaign have denied Reade’s allegations several times, and Biden issued a request Friday to Secretary of the Senate Julie Adams to locate and make public any complaint that Reade may have filed. He is continuing to work with the Senate to locate such a document.
Offers for free full-time legal and public relations support have yet to come her way, Reade told the DCNF.
In contrast, Ford received pro-bono legal and public relations support from two prominent lawyers to support her as she accused Kavanaugh of sexually harassing her at a house party in 1982.
One of Ford’s lawyers, Michael Bromwich, went as far as to resign from his job from a distinguished Washington D.C. law firm so he could focus his efforts exclusively on representing Kavanaugh’s accuser.
The Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, which has committed over $10 million to support women alleging sexual harassment in the workplace, told Reade in February that its charitable status would be put at risk if it financially supported her because Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.
Time’s Up is operated by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), a 501(c)3 charitable organization, and as such is “restricted in how it can spend its funds, including restrictions that pertain to candidates running for election,” NWLC spokeswoman Maria Patrick told The Intercept.
Time’s Up did provide Reade with a list of lawyers, but Reade told The New York Times that none of the recommended lawyers were willing to take her case.
Reade said that she has reached out to attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, who represented Blasey Ford, without response. Katz and Banks have not responded to multiple requests for comment from the DCNF as to why they are representing ousted vaccine expert Dr. Rick Bright instead of Reade.
Other prominent women’s groups that rallied behind Ford stayed silent on Reade’s allegations for weeks after she came forward.
Planned Parenthood Action broke its silence on Reade’s allegations against Biden in a Thursday night press release that did not mention Reade by name.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“Any person seeking elected office — and especially the highest office in the land — needs to address allegations of sexual assault and harassment seriously, both as a systemic problem and with a sense of personal responsibility,” Planned Parenthood acting President Alexis McGill Johnson said. “We all have much work to do to make our country a safer place, free of sexual violence.”
Following Biden’s appearance on MSNBC Friday denying Reade’s allegations, Planned Parenthood Action issued a second press release in which the organization praised Biden’s past record on domestic violence and urged him “to continue to push this conversation, and our country, forward.”
Neither Planned Parenthood statement expressed support for Reade.
In contrast, Planned Parenthood released a statement condemning Kavanaugh the same day Ford came forward with her allegations of sexual assault. The organization rallied behind Ford, organized a “National Walkout” to support her, created a promotional video criticizing Kavanaugh and issued repeated press releases and tweets praising Ford’s courage.
The National Abortion Right’s Action League (NARAL) and Emily’s List released a joint statement on Friday following Biden’s appearance on MSNBC that emphasized the importance of recognizing survivors and criticized President Donald Trump. But the joint statement did not detail Reade’s allegations.
“Just as Biden has listened and led in the past on the Violence Against Women Act, we now need him to lead us forward to create the sort of systems where survivors’ claims are taken seriously and justice and healing are possible,” Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List, said in the joint statement.
Both NARAL and EMILY’s List tweeted extensively in support of Blasey Ford, but neither organization has referenced Reade by name on the social media platform.
We are standing in solidarity with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Deborah Ramirez, and all survivors of sexual assault. We believe women. We #BelieveSurvivors. pic.twitter.com/8zAaV10iuz — EMILY's List (@emilyslist) September 24, 2018
Other women’s groups have said Biden needs to do more to address Reade’s allegations.
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) pointed out that Biden was slow to respond to Reade’s allegations in a press release Friday.
“We appreciate Vice President Biden finally addressing Tara Reade’s allegations,” said vice president of communications Heather Drevna. “These allegations deserve a rigorous investigation, and we urge Vice President Biden to release any and all records that may be relevant, including those housed at the University of Delaware, in addition to any Senate records housed at the National Archives.”
And the advocacy group UltraViolet noted in a press release Friday that “It was right for Joe Biden to directly address this issue and he has more to do.”
“For far too many women, the pursuit of justice against their abusers is nearly impossible – and their stories are silenced,” said Shaunna Thomas, co-founder and executive director of UltraViolet.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-05-05--To FBI Director Wray About His Job: Use It (for Reform) or Lose It!

When Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn ’ s attorney Sidney Powell finally succeeded in obtaining the “ Brady ” ( exculpatory ) material she ’ d been requesting from the FBI for many months , the question arose : Where was FBI Director Christopher Wray while these documents were being withheld from Flynn ’ s defense ?
Wray had to know this was going on .
If we “ outsiders ” knew , he knew .
It ’ s become obvious that if Trump wanted a real reformer to take the helm at the FBI , he didn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President must be .
But , as I reported last week , Wray has a history at the FBI that raises both eyebrows — this isn ’ t the first time he ’ s “ supervised ” FBI personnel , the same group of low-lifes abusing their power .
He didn ’ t do anything about it then , either .
As Trey Gowdy said on Monday to Sean Hannity , “ The FBI is not in charge of hiring and firing directors of national intelligence [ Flynn ’ s former job ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — it ’ s not their job to see what they can get away with [ a reference to James Comey ] … You ’ re supposed to investigate crime , not create crime.
” It was only after Attorney General Bill Barr appointed U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen to review Flynn ’ s case that those exculpatory documents were finally released to Flynn ’ s defense .
Wray apparently had nothing to do with getting this done , and he ’ s been there two years .
It should have happened when Powell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In his latest column , John Solomon reminds us of the time Chris Wray issued a statement rebuking California Rep. Devin Nunes , then-chairman of the House Intelligence Committee , for his memo concluding James Comey , abused the FISA process to spy on Trump ’ s campaign .
“ We have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo ’ s accuracy , ” Wray said .
Two years later , Nunes and his memo were vindicated ; what on earth was Wray talking about ?
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Comey regime , but have stretched into Wray ’ s watch , ” Solomon observes .
FBI officials have declined comment on the Flynn materials but tell Solomon that they ’ ve referred all FBI employees involved in the “ Russia ” FISAs for disciplinary action ( okay , sure ) , and that they ’ ve implemented more than 40 reforms to the FISA process .
No word on whether Wray had much to do with that .
Republican legislators have grave reservations about Wray ’ s ability to reform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excellent write-up by Elizabeth Vaughn at RedState ; it includes key quotes from Solomon ’ s piece and also observes that if Wray remains , the real reformers such as Barr will have to “ simply work around him , as they did last week.
” Barr has been granted full access to all documents by Trump and can just take what he needs , she says , with Wray being “ little more than a placeholder.
” ( Better than an Eric Holder , I suppose , but Wray needs to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Mike Johnson of Louisiana sent a letter on Monday to Wray demanding all documents relating to the FBI ’ s operation against Flynn .
The two also demand interviews with Bill Priestap ( Peter Strzok ’ s boss , and the author of those handwritten notes questioning the motive behind the Flynn “ ambush ” interview ) and Joe Pientka ( the other Flynn questioner , besides Strzok ) .
“ The American people continue to learn troubling details about the politicization and misconduct at the highest levels of the FBI during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Even more concerning , we continue to learn these new details from litigation and investigations —not from you .
[ Emphasis mine ; you have to love that they said this . ]
It is well past time that you show the leadership necessary to bring the FBI past the abuses of the Obama-Biden era.
” “ Produce all documents and communications between or among the FBI and other executive branch agencies , including but not limited to the executive office of the president .
[ again , emphasis mine ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 , to January 20 , 2017 [ Obama ’ s last day in office ] , referring or relating to LTG Michael Flynn ’ s December 30 , 2016 , conversation with Sergey Kislyak … explain when you personally learned of the FBI ’ s misconduct with respect to FTG Flynn.
” Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
I ’ ve linked to the letter , which is quite masterful .
The first part lays out all the ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it ’ s stunning to see line after line of the malfeasance that by now we know took place .
It presents the whole timeline , starting with Flynn ’ s phone call to Kislyak on December 30 , 2016 ; to the field office ’ s closing of the Flynn “ Russia ” case on January 4 , 2017 , after finding NOTHING and Strzok ’ s intervention to keep it open ; to the big Oval Office meeting on January 5 ; and on and on with everything the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plea , finally obtained on December 1 , 2017 .
The second part is a list of demands , to be provided “ as soon as possible but no later than May 18 , 2020…We trust you will respond expeditiously and completely.
” Deeper Into the New Flynn Docs Today ’ s “ Wray buffet ” would not be complete without the dessert cart .
Today ’ s offering is another sweet column by Margot Cleveland at The Federalist , about what the newly-released documents say about the Michael Flynn case .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Hit On Michael Flynn , ” not only will she bring you up to speed on the case if you ’ re not there — including the new evidence of the “ secret side deal ” the FBI made with Flynn not to prosecute his son — but she also introduces a brilliant point .
In essence , it ’ s this : As Cleveland points out , the Supreme Court has ruled that to be criminal , Flynn ’ s “ lie ” had to be material ; that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She then asks , “ How could Flynn ’ s statements have influenced the FBI , given that the FBI knew exactly what Flynn said to the Russian ambassador before the agents interviewed him ?
” Also , as of Thursday , we ’ ve known that on January 4 , 2017 , the FBI field office sent documentation to close “ Crossfire Razor ” with no derogatory evidence found , concluding Flynn “ was no longer a viable candidate as part of the larger Crossfire Hurricane umbrella case.
” Twenty minutes later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unknown agent saying not to close out the Flynn investigation yet , as the “ 7th floor ” was involved .
The point : As recently unsealed documents show that the FBI already had all the communications and had decided to close the case anyway , we know the only reason to keep it open was as a pretext to interrogate Flynn .
So the interrogation itself was not “ material ” to the case .
They had no legitimate investigative purpose for questioning Flynn , so what he said in answer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goes on to describe how the 302 ( FBI notes ) of the interview with Flynn was re-written by Strzok and Page .
Recall that the original 302 has mysteriously gone missing .
It ’ s very important to get that , and also to hear from Joe Pientka , the “ other ” agent who questioned Flynn .
Of course , both the 302 and the in-person Pientka interview are on the list of demands sent by Reps. Jordan and Johnson to Chris Wray , but I ’ ll bet they end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else besides Wray .
Mike Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and longtime conservative commentator on issues in culture and current events .
A New York Times best-selling author , he hosts the weekly talk show Huckabee on TBN .

When Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn’s attorney Sidney Powell finally succeeded in obtaining the “Brady” (exculpatory) material she’d been requesting from the FBI for many months, the question arose: Where was FBI Director Christopher Wray while these documents were being withheld from Flynn’s defense?
Wray had to know this was going on. If we “outsiders” knew, he knew. It’s become obvious that if Trump wanted a real reformer to take the helm at the FBI, he didn’t have one in Wray. How disappointed the President must be. But, as I reported last week, Wray has a history at the FBI that raises both eyebrows — this isn’t the first time he’s “supervised” FBI personnel, the same group of low-lifes abusing their power. He didn’t do anything about it then, either.
As Trey Gowdy said on Monday to Sean Hannity, “The FBI is not in charge of hiring and firing directors of national intelligence [Flynn’s former job]. The FBI is not in charge — it’s not their job to see what they can get away with [a reference to James Comey]… You’re supposed to investigate crime, not create crime.”
It was only after Attorney General Bill Barr appointed U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen to review Flynn’s case that those exculpatory documents were finally released to Flynn’s defense. Wray apparently had nothing to do with getting this done, and he’s been there two years. It should have happened when Powell first requested the material, period.
Under Wray’s Watch
In his latest column, John Solomon reminds us of the time Chris Wray issued a statement rebuking California Rep. Devin Nunes, then-chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, for his memo concluding James Comey, abused the FISA process to spy on Trump’s campaign. “We have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy,” Wray said. Two years later, Nunes and his memo were vindicated; what on earth was Wray talking about?
“The problems exposed during the Russia case started with the Comey regime, but have stretched into Wray’s watch,” Solomon observes. FBI officials have declined comment on the Flynn materials but tell Solomon that they’ve referred all FBI employees involved in the “Russia” FISAs for disciplinary action (okay, sure), and that they’ve implemented more than 40 reforms to the FISA process. No word on whether Wray had much to do with that.
Republican legislators have grave reservations about Wray’s ability to reform the FBI. Here’s another excellent write-up by Elizabeth Vaughn at RedState; it includes key quotes from Solomon’s piece and also observes that if Wray remains, the real reformers such as Barr will have to “simply work around him, as they did last week.” Barr has been granted full access to all documents by Trump and can just take what he needs, she says, with Wray being “little more than a placeholder.” (Better than an Eric Holder, I suppose, but Wray needs to go.)
A Blistering Letter to Wray
Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Mike Johnson of Louisiana sent a letter on Monday to Wray demanding all documents relating to the FBI’s operation against Flynn. The two also demand interviews with Bill Priestap (Peter Strzok’s boss, and the author of those handwritten notes questioning the motive behind the Flynn “ambush” interview) and Joe Pientka (the other Flynn questioner, besides Strzok).
“The American people continue to learn troubling details about the politicization and misconduct at the highest levels of the FBI during the Obama-Biden Administration,” they wrote. “Even more concerning, we continue to learn these new details from litigation and investigations —not from you. [Emphasis mine; you have to love that they said this.] It is well past time that you show the leadership necessary to bring the FBI past the abuses of the Obama-Biden era.”
“Produce all documents and communications between or among the FBI and other executive branch agencies, including but not limited to the executive office of the president. [again, emphasis mine], for the period December 1, 2016, to January 20, 2017 [Obama’s last day in office], referring or relating to LTG Michael Flynn’s December 30, 2016, conversation with Sergey Kislyak … explain when you personally learned of the FBI’s misconduct with respect to FTG Flynn.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
I’ve linked to the letter, which is quite masterful. The first part lays out all the ways in which the FBI mis-conducted itself, and it’s stunning to see line after line of the malfeasance that by now we know took place. It presents the whole timeline, starting with Flynn’s phone call to Kislyak on December 30, 2016; to the field office’s closing of the Flynn “Russia” case on January 4, 2017, after finding NOTHING and Strzok’s intervention to keep it open; to the big Oval Office meeting on January 5; and on and on with everything the FBI did to coerce Flynn’s guilty plea, finally obtained on December 1, 2017.
The second part is a list of demands, to be provided “as soon as possible but no later than May 18, 2020…We trust you will respond expeditiously and completely.”
Deeper Into the New Flynn Docs
Today’s “Wray buffet” would not be complete without the dessert cart. Today’s offering is another sweet column by Margot Cleveland at The Federalist, about what the newly-released documents say about the Michael Flynn case. In “Your Guide To The Obama Administration’s Hit On Michael Flynn,” not only will she bring you up to speed on the case if you’re not there — including the new evidence of the “secret side deal” the FBI made with Flynn not to prosecute his son — but she also introduces a brilliant point. In essence, it’s this:
As Cleveland points out, the Supreme Court has ruled that to be criminal, Flynn’s “lie” had to be material; that is, capable of influencing an investigation. She then asks, “How could Flynn’s statements have influenced the FBI, given that the FBI knew exactly what Flynn said to the Russian ambassador before the agents interviewed him?” Also, as of Thursday, we’ve known that on January 4, 2017, the FBI field office sent documentation to close “Crossfire Razor” with no derogatory evidence found, concluding Flynn “was no longer a viable candidate as part of the larger Crossfire Hurricane umbrella case.” Twenty minutes later, Strzok sent a message to an unknown agent saying not to close out the Flynn investigation yet, as the “7th floor” was involved.
The point: As recently unsealed documents show that the FBI already had all the communications and had decided to close the case anyway, we know the only reason to keep it open was as a pretext to interrogate Flynn. So the interrogation itself was not “material” to the case. They had no legitimate investigative purpose for questioning Flynn, so what he said in answer to their questions was not material.
Cleveland goes on to describe how the 302 (FBI notes) of the interview with Flynn was re-written by Strzok and Page. Recall that the original 302 has mysteriously gone missing. It’s very important to get that, and also to hear from Joe Pientka, the “other” agent who questioned Flynn. Of course, both the 302 and the in-person Pientka interview are on the list of demands sent by Reps. Jordan and Johnson to Chris Wray, but I’ll bet they end up coming from … well, somebody else besides Wray.
Originally published at MikeHuckabee.com. Reprinted with permission.
Mike Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and longtime conservative commentator on issues in culture and current events. A New York Times best-selling author, he hosts the weekly talk show Huckabee on TBN.


thestream--2020-05-05--To Pink News and the Friendly Atheist: If You Are So Secure in Your Position, Why Must You Lie About

To Pink News and the Friendly Atheist: If You Are So Secure in Your Position, Why Must You Lie About Mine?

It ’ s one thing when your ideological opponents reject your position .
That ’ s part of disagreement and debate .
It ’ s another thing when your opponents willfully misrepresent and even lie about your position .
That is actually a sign of the weakness of their own position .
If they were on the side of truth , they would not need to demonize their opponents or fabricate strawmen .
When it comes to the culture wars , it ’ s a given that the moment you differ with the standard LGBTQ talking points , you will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a homophobe .
You will be compared to Hitler and ISIS , and worse .
This has been the reality for decades .
But as ugly and revealing as these name-calling tactics are , it ’ s even more revealing when your ideological opponents simply lie about your position .
Pink News Willfully Misrepresents My Words to Discredit Me For example , take two responses to my article bemoaning the fact that Anderson Cooper ’ s son would not be raised by his mother .
Emma Powys Maurice at Pink News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brown , a man with a long history of anti-LGBT+ diatribes linking homosexuality with paedophilia , decided to chime in on his podcast Line of Fire.
” Her article then interacts with my article , fairly and at length .
It ends with this : “ We ’ d urge him to consider whether the saddest thing could be that a right-wing pundit is reading tragedy into the birth of a child and fabricating problems for him before he ’ s even a week old – but that ’ s just us.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the article , and I do appreciate it , Emma .
To be sure , Pink News used quite an interesting screen shot of me ( classic ! )
.
And their headline was not too subtle : “ Homophobe uses tragically flawed argument to explain why we shouldn ’ t celebrate Anderson Cooper becoming a dad.
” But it was the second sentence of the article that was so telling , with the volatile claim that I have “ a long history of anti-LGBT+ diatribes linking homosexuality with paedophilia.
” Thankfully , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article of mine , titled , “ Is God Responsible for a Pedophile ’ s Attractions ?
” Could I Have Made My Point Any More Clearly ?
The article began with these words , printed in italics for emphasis : “ To ensure that there is no misunderstanding of any kind , please say these words out loud , slowly and clearly : Michael Brown is not comparing homosexuality to pedophilia .
Michael Brown is not calling homosexuals pedophiles .
Michael Brown is not comparing a mutually consensual , adult relationship to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have made the point any more clearly ?
I went out of my way to start the article with a major caveat , printed in italics .
I wanted to be 100 % sure that no one could misunderstand or misrepresent my point .
Yet that is exactly what Pink News did , and willfully so , it would appear .
Why ?
Is their position so weak that , along with the name-calling , they need to rely on disinformation and lies ?
As for my article , my point was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illogical justification of homosexuality that can just as easily be used to justify pedophilia , ” namely , that is must be right because someone is born that way .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
I also wrote , “ What about those who , to the core of their being , struggle with pride ?
Or anger ?
Or greed ?
Or jealousy ?
What does this prove ?
It proves that we are a fallen , broken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And what about the claims of a violent gene or a selfish gene or an obesity gene ?
“ Do we therefore celebrate violence , selfishness or obesity , if , in fact , they are genetic ?
Or , if we have these alleged genetic tendencies , do we work harder to overcome them ?
” My purpose was to illustrate how the “ born that way ” argument for homosexuality is self-defeating .
It opens the door to all kinds of counter-arguments , including the argument that pedophiles can claim to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care about accurate reporting when your goal is to defame your ideological opponents ?
Again , this shows weakness , not strength .
Friendly Atheist Accuses Me of “ Conversion Torture ” to Discredit Me Even more dishonest was the article by Hemant Mehta on the Friendly Atheist .
He wrote , “ Michael Brown , who has a long history of anti-LGBTQ diatribes , is already complaining about it on YouTube .
This is the same guy who promotes conversion torture , links homosexuality with pedophilia , and said just two months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg ) would “ contribute to the further degeneration and moral confusion of our society ” ( his emphasis ) .
So , not only does the Friendly Atheist repeat the lie that I link homosexuality with pedophilia , but he adds a new one .
He claims I promote “ conversion torture.
” What is his support for this claim ?
Hemant links to a page on the oft-discredited SPLC website .
It begins by saying , “ Michael Brown is not typical of most who push the idea that a cabal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-called ‘ homosexual agenda ’ to indoctrinate children into a lifestyle that makes a mockery of Christian values.
” ( Am I not typical because of my educational background ?
Because of my other ministry work ?
Because of my tone ?
That was not clear from their site . )
As to the claim that I link homosexuality to pedophilia , the SPLC can do no better than cite my question as to whether Penn State ’ s Jerry Sandusky , who engaged in sexual acts with young men and minors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in nature.
” That ’ s it .
What of the outright , fabricated lie that I promote “ conversion torture ” ?
In more than 1,700 pages of relevant writing on LGBT issues ( to use a conservative number ) , and in hundreds of hours of radio broadcasts and seminars , I have never written or said anything that could possibly be construed to support this statement .
Not a sentence .
Not a syllable .
Nothing .
I have simply stated my support for the rights of those with unwanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they desire .
That ’ s it .
I believe that someone who is not happy being gay has the right to sit with a counselor ( or pastor ) and talk about his or her attractions and desires .
And if they are helped in the process , wonderful .
Many testify that they have been helped , and I have no reason to doubt their stories .
What does this have to do with “ conversion torture , ” whatever that means ?
Nothing whatsoever .
It would be as if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s great when a dad has a heart to heart talk with his son.
” And then was accused of advocating child abuse .
Dishonesty Only Discredits Their Cause But that is the dishonesty of the Friendly Atheist and of Pink News , a dishonesty that only discredits their cause .
By all means , we will have our disagreements , profoundly so .
But let us have them based on truth , rather than on lies .
And let Pink News and the Friendly Atheist demonstrate some integrity by correcting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And if either Emma or Hemant want to discuss our differences on the air , they are both welcome to join me for an equal time discussion on my radio show .
Emma and Hemant , what do you say ?
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is When the World Stops : Words of Faith , Hope , and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis .
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

It’s one thing when your ideological opponents reject your position. That’s part of disagreement and debate. It’s another thing when your opponents willfully misrepresent and even lie about your position. That is actually a sign of the weakness of their own position. If they were on the side of truth, they would not need to demonize their opponents or fabricate strawmen.
When it comes to the culture wars, it’s a given that the moment you differ with the standard LGBTQ talking points, you will be branded a bigot, a hater, and a homophobe. You will be compared to Hitler and ISIS, and worse. This has been the reality for decades.
But as ugly and revealing as these name-calling tactics are, it’s even more revealing when your ideological opponents simply lie about your position.
Pink News Willfully Misrepresents My Words to Discredit Me
For example, take two responses to my article bemoaning the fact that Anderson Cooper’s son would not be raised by his mother. Emma Powys Maurice at Pink News wrote, “Right-wing radio host Michael Brown, a man with a long history of anti-LGBT+ diatribes linking homosexuality with paedophilia, decided to chime in on his podcast Line of Fire.”
Her article then interacts with my article, fairly and at length. It ends with this: “We’d urge him to consider whether the saddest thing could be that a right-wing pundit is reading tragedy into the birth of a child and fabricating problems for him before he’s even a week old – but that’s just us.”
But why care about accurate reporting when your goal is to defame your ideological opponents? Again, this shows weakness, not strength.
That was a gracious way to end the article, and I do appreciate it, Emma.
To be sure, Pink News used quite an interesting screen shot of me (classic!). And their headline was not too subtle: “Homophobe uses tragically flawed argument to explain why we shouldn’t celebrate Anderson Cooper becoming a dad.”
But it was the second sentence of the article that was so telling, with the volatile claim that I have “a long history of anti-LGBT+ diatribes linking homosexuality with paedophilia.” Thankfully, Pink News provided a link to an article of mine, titled, “Is God Responsible for a Pedophile’s Attractions?”
Could I Have Made My Point Any More Clearly?
The article began with these words, printed in italics for emphasis: “To ensure that there is no misunderstanding of any kind, please say these words out loud, slowly and clearly: Michael Brown is not comparing homosexuality to pedophilia. Michael Brown is not calling homosexuals pedophiles. Michael Brown is not comparing a mutually consensual, adult relationship to an abusive, adult-child relationship.”
Could I have made the point any more clearly? I went out of my way to start the article with a major caveat, printed in italics. I wanted to be 100% sure that no one could misunderstand or misrepresent my point. Yet that is exactly what Pink News did, and willfully so, it would appear. Why?
Is their position so weak that, along with the name-calling, they need to rely on disinformation and lies?
As for my article, my point was simple. I was comparing “an illogical justification of homosexuality that can just as easily be used to justify pedophilia,” namely, that is must be right because someone is born that way.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
I also wrote, “What about those who, to the core of their being, struggle with pride? Or anger? Or greed? Or jealousy? What does this prove? It proves that we are a fallen, broken race in need of a Savior. And what about the claims of a violent gene or a selfish gene or an obesity gene?
“Do we therefore celebrate violence, selfishness or obesity, if, in fact, they are genetic? Or, if we have these alleged genetic tendencies, do we work harder to overcome them?”
My purpose was to illustrate how the “born that way” argument for homosexuality is self-defeating. It opens the door to all kinds of counter-arguments, including the argument that pedophiles can claim to be born that way.
But why care about accurate reporting when your goal is to defame your ideological opponents? Again, this shows weakness, not strength.
Friendly Atheist Accuses Me of “Conversion Torture” to Discredit Me
Even more dishonest was the article by Hemant Mehta on the Friendly Atheist. He wrote, “Michael Brown, who has a long history of anti-LGBTQ diatribes, is already complaining about it on YouTube. This is the same guy who promotes conversion torture, links homosexuality with pedophilia, and said just two months ago that a gay-married president (Pete Buttigieg) would “contribute to the further degeneration and moral confusion of our society” (his emphasis).
So, not only does the Friendly Atheist repeat the lie that I link homosexuality with pedophilia, but he adds a new one. He claims I promote “conversion torture.” What is his support for this claim?
Hemant links to a page on the oft-discredited SPLC website. It begins by saying, “Michael Brown is not typical of most who push the idea that a cabal of liberal media elites have orchestrated a so-called ‘homosexual agenda’ to indoctrinate children into a lifestyle that makes a mockery of Christian values.” (Am I not typical because of my educational background? Because of my other ministry work? Because of my tone? That was not clear from their site.)
As to the claim that I link homosexuality to pedophilia, the SPLC can do no better than cite my question as to whether Penn State’s Jerry Sandusky, who engaged in sexual acts with young men and minors, engaged in acts that “were homosexual in nature.” That’s it.
I have simply stated my support for the rights of those with unwanted same-sex attraction to receive professional counseling if they desire. That’s it.
What of the outright, fabricated lie that I promote “conversion torture”?
In more than 1,700 pages of relevant writing on LGBT issues (to use a conservative number), and in hundreds of hours of radio broadcasts and seminars, I have never written or said anything that could possibly be construed to support this statement. Not a sentence. Not a syllable. Nothing.
I have simply stated my support for the rights of those with unwanted same-sex attraction to receive professional counseling if they desire. That’s it.
I believe that someone who is not happy being gay has the right to sit with a counselor (or pastor) and talk about his or her attractions and desires. And if they are helped in the process, wonderful. Many testify that they have been helped, and I have no reason to doubt their stories.
What does this have to do with “conversion torture,” whatever that means? Nothing whatsoever.
It would be as if I said, “I think it’s great when a dad has a heart to heart talk with his son.” And then was accused of advocating child abuse.
Dishonesty Only Discredits Their Cause
But that is the dishonesty of the Friendly Atheist and of Pink News, a dishonesty that only discredits their cause.
By all means, we will have our disagreements, profoundly so. But let us have them based on truth, rather than on lies.
And let Pink News and the Friendly Atheist demonstrate some integrity by correcting the misinformation they have posted about me. And if either Emma or Hemant want to discuss our differences on the air, they are both welcome to join me for an equal time discussion on my radio show.
Emma and Hemant, what do you say?
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is When the World Stops: Words of Faith, Hope, and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-05-06--Are These Blue-State Governors Just Pro-Virus?

As my faithful readers know , I ’ ve been pretty tough on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo .
I asked in my columns and on The Eric Metaxas Show if he should be charged with negligent homicide .
That wasn ’ t because he ’ s a Democrat , or a leftist , even because he ’ s pro-infanticide .
It ’ s because of the outrageous , death-dealing policy he imposes on nursing homes , along with the governors of New Jersey and California .
That is — forcing nursing homes to take in coronavirus patients .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ angrier at Andrew Cuomo than I ever was at Osama bin Laden , who attacked my hometown when I lived in it .
Why ?
Because bin Laden never claimed to be an American , much less a public servant .
I wondered on the air and in print what possible motives could drive such a policy .
It seems intended on the face of it to expose the most vulnerable Americans , the old and helpless , to a likely fatal infection .
All of this while locking down the young and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspending the Constitution , and tanking the economy just before President Trump seeks reelection .
We ’ re turning our lives inside out and risking global famine just to fight this virus .
And blue state governors ’ policies are spreading it to those most likely to die of it .
What could possibly drive rational actors , whatever their ideologies , to put the weakest in danger , even as they quarantine and bankrupt the strong ?
I came up with a few tentative , profoundly cynical theories : • Euthanasia of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Ezekiel Emanuel , Joe Biden ’ s chief advisor on the virus .
Immanuel , a “ bioethicist , ” thinks those over 75 pretty much have a duty to die .
They shouldn ’ t be given life-saving medicines .
• Increasing the number of virus deaths in their states , to attract more federal money .
• Increasing the number of virus deaths in their states , to justify extending the lockdown , crash the economy , and defeat President Trump .
• Increasing the number of virus deaths in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footprint , and stop “ overpopulation.
” • They work for the Chinese Communist Party .
• They ’ re alien shape-shifters , part of a species that covets our planet , and is using the virus to wipe us out .
• They ’ re so dumb that they actually can not eat without assistance .
I didn ’ t really want to believe any of these hypotheses .
But I couldn ’ t find a less unsettling alternative .
Yes , early on I talked about “ Coronavirus story hour in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not a policy paper .
Governor Cuomo , if you ’ re reading this , PLEASE have someone with a sense of humor read over any of my columns in future before you put them into practice .
It ’ s safer that way .
Do we have a deal ?
I couldn ’ t just sit back and accept that Cuomo is a hostile invader from outer space .
Or even that he ’ s willing to kill off old New Yorkers for political or ideological motives .
After all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes are surely here illegally .
At the very least , Andrew wants to keep them alive .
Right ?
So I kept on reading , digging , thinking .
I was frankly becoming desperate , because my anger kept on building .
While TV hosts blamed the president for fish-tank cleaner deaths , journalists just kept on giving Cuomo a pass on this lethal policy , night after night after night .
I almost threw a soda can at the flatscreen on Sunday when Fox reporters raised Cuomo ’ s actions with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lobbed the issue across the plate like a softball , expecting Trump to hit it out of the park .
Instead he chose to bunt , and brag about the great work he did prepping the Javits Center .
I was approaching what I call “ the Zoolander moment.
” That ’ s how I describe the state of rage , befuddlement and learned helplessness you reach when exposed to too much toxic idiocy .
Then I found the help I so desperately needed .
It came from the kind of people you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ re part of a vanishing breed , as rare as a TV repairman or old-fashioned copy editor .
I mean reporters .
People who don ’ t just share their views in 1000 word columns as I do .
Or collect stray quotes and anecdotes that fit a pre-set narrative , omitting those that don ’ t , as the MSM do .
A real reporter might follow a hunch and start with a theory .
But he follows the facts as a beagle would a trail of meat cubes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as neutral a tone as he can manage .
In this case , a team of reporters did the job .
Not opinion typists at The New York Times or The Atlantic , but a good old-fashioned regional newspaper , The Bucks County Courier Times .
Their story ’ s title tells it all : “ States ordered nursing homes to take COVID-19 residents .
Thousands died .
How it happened.
” Read it and weep .
Really , please do go and read it , because it highlights systemic failures of governance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I can sum up its main finding really briefly : Thousands of Americans died and are dying in nursing homes of COVID-19 for a very simple reason .
They ’ re dying thanks to the panic whipped up by major media and by our leaders .
That ’ s right .
It isn ’ t overconfidence that ’ s killing Americans , as The Atlantic charged in its story about a red state re-opening : “ Georgia ’ s Experiment in Human Sacrifice.
” No , the panic is what ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in nursing homes , without visitors , clergy , or even Last Rites at their lonely deaths .
Because according to the Courier Times , what drove blue state governors to dump virus patients at nursing homes was fear .
They feared the coming tsunami of young , healthy people ( taxpayers , not pensioners ! )
allegedly headed for hospitals .
They had to flatten that massive curve by any means necessary .
And that meant that if someone from a nursing home suffered from coronavirus at a hospital , job one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ( though still contagious ) and send him back to the nursing home .
New York won ’ t even let nursing homes test people to see if they have the virus .
( Good luck with that quarantine , doctor ! )
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
The Javits Center and the USS Comfort stayed empty , along with most of the Samaritan ’ s Purse tent hospital — which is leaving New York amidst anti-Christian abuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( “ Thanks for nothing , now go home , snake-handlers !
” ) But virus patients streamed ( and still are streaming ) back into nursing homes .
And high percentages of COVID deaths are taking place … guess where ?
In nursing homes .
Twenty percent of COVID deaths in New York , and a whopping forty percent in New Jersey , happened in nursing homes .
And California ?
It doesn ’ t even have statistics for us to check .
Heckuva job , Governor Handsome .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the bodies of our grandparents and Korean or Vietnam War veterans .
Panic kills .
Re-open America , and spend our resources protecting the vulnerable , not starfish on California beaches .
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 .

As my faithful readers know, I’ve been pretty tough on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. I asked in my columns and on The Eric Metaxas Show if he should be charged with negligent homicide. That wasn’t because he’s a Democrat, or a leftist, even because he’s pro-infanticide.
It’s because of the outrageous, death-dealing policy he imposes on nursing homes, along with the governors of New Jersey and California. That is — forcing nursing homes to take in coronavirus patients. As I told Eric, I’m angrier at Andrew Cuomo than I ever was at Osama bin Laden, who attacked my hometown when I lived in it. Why? Because bin Laden never claimed to be an American, much less a public servant.
I wondered on the air and in print what possible motives could drive such a policy. It seems intended on the face of it to expose the most vulnerable Americans, the old and helpless, to a likely fatal infection. All of this while locking down the young and healthy, massively growing the government, suspending the Constitution, and tanking the economy just before President Trump seeks reelection. We’re turning our lives inside out and risking global famine just to fight this virus. And blue state governors’ policies are spreading it to those most likely to die of it.
Is Cuomo a Reptilian Shape-Shifter?
What could possibly drive rational actors, whatever their ideologies, to put the weakest in danger, even as they quarantine and bankrupt the strong? I came up with a few tentative, profoundly cynical theories:
Euthanasia of the elderly. Maybe these governors agree with Ezekiel Emanuel, Joe Biden’s chief advisor on the virus. Immanuel, a “bioethicist,” thinks those over 75 pretty much have a duty to die. They shouldn’t be given life-saving medicines.
Increasing the number of virus deaths in their states, to attract more federal money.
Increasing the number of virus deaths in their states, to justify extending the lockdown, crash the economy, and defeat President Trump.
Increasing the number of virus deaths in their states, to diminish their carbon footprint, and stop “overpopulation.”
They work for the Chinese Communist Party.
They’re alien shape-shifters, part of a species that covets our planet, and is using the virus to wipe us out.
They’re so dumb that they actually cannot eat without assistance.
Coronavirus Story Hour at Nursing Homes
I didn’t really want to believe any of these hypotheses. But I couldn’t find a less unsettling alternative. Yes, early on I talked about “Coronavirus story hour in nursing homes.”But that was satire, not a policy paper. Governor Cuomo, if you’re reading this, PLEASE have someone with a sense of humor read over any of my columns in future before you put them into practice. It’s safer that way. Do we have a deal?
I couldn’t just sit back and accept that Cuomo is a hostile invader from outer space. Or even that he’s willing to kill off old New Yorkers for political or ideological motives. After all, some of those people dying in nursing homes are surely here illegally. At the very least, Andrew wants to keep them alive. Right?
Real Reporters, God Bless ‘Em!
So I kept on reading, digging, thinking. I was frankly becoming desperate, because my anger kept on building. While TV hosts blamed the president for fish-tank cleaner deaths, journalists just kept on giving Cuomo a pass on this lethal policy, night after night after night. I almost threw a soda can at the flatscreen on Sunday when Fox reporters raised Cuomo’s actions with President Trump. In fact, they lobbed the issue across the plate like a softball, expecting Trump to hit it out of the park. Instead he chose to bunt, and brag about the great work he did prepping the Javits Center.
I was approaching what I call “the Zoolander moment.” That’s how I describe the state of rage, befuddlement and learned helplessness you reach when exposed to too much toxic idiocy.
Then I found the help I so desperately needed. It came from the kind of people you don’t see very often. They’re part of a vanishing breed, as rare as a TV repairman or old-fashioned copy editor. I mean reporters. People who don’t just share their views in 1000 word columns as I do. Or collect stray quotes and anecdotes that fit a pre-set narrative, omitting those that don’t, as the MSM do. A real reporter might follow a hunch and start with a theory. But he follows the facts as a beagle would a trail of meat cubes. And then he presents his report in as neutral a tone as he can manage.
Governors feared the coming tsunami of young, healthy people (taxpayers, not pensioners!) allegedly headed for hospitals. They had to flatten that massive curve by any means necessary.
In this case, a team of reporters did the job. Not opinion typists at The New York Times or The Atlantic, but a good old-fashioned regional newspaper, The Bucks County Courier Times. Their story’s title tells it all: “States ordered nursing homes to take COVID-19 residents. Thousands died. How it happened.” Read it and weep.
Really, please do go and read it, because it highlights systemic failures of governance, good sense, and courage. But I can sum up its main finding really briefly: Thousands of Americans died and are dying in nursing homes of COVID-19 for a very simple reason. They’re dying thanks to the panic whipped up by major media and by our leaders. That’s right.
Virus Panic Means More Virus Deaths
It isn’t overconfidence that’s killing Americans, as The Atlantic charged in its story about a red state re-opening: “Georgia’s Experiment in Human Sacrifice.” No, the panic is what’s killing the thousands of elderly Americans trapped in nursing homes, without visitors, clergy, or even Last Rites at their lonely deaths. Because according to the Courier Times, what drove blue state governors to dump virus patients at nursing homes was fear.
They feared the coming tsunami of young, healthy people (taxpayers, not pensioners!) allegedly headed for hospitals. They had to flatten that massive curve by any means necessary. And that meant that if someone from a nursing home suffered from coronavirus at a hospital, job one was to get him “medically stable” (though still contagious) and send him back to the nursing home. New York won’t even let nursing homes test people to see if they have the virus. (Good luck with that quarantine, doctor!)
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
The Javits Center and the USS Comfort stayed empty, along with most of the Samaritan’s Purse tent hospital — which is leaving New York amidst anti-Christian abuse from New York’s City Council. (“Thanks for nothing, now go home, snake-handlers!”)
But virus patients streamed (and still are streaming) back into nursing homes. And high percentages of COVID deaths are taking place … guess where? In nursing homes. Twenty percent of COVID deaths in New York, and a whopping forty percent in New Jersey, happened in nursing homes. And California? It doesn’t even have statistics for us to check. Heckuva job, Governor Handsome.
We’re flattening the curve, all right, with the bodies of our grandparents and Korean or Vietnam War veterans.
Panic kills. Re-open America, and spend our resources protecting the vulnerable, not starfish on California beaches.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism.


thestream--2020-05-06--A Talk With a Pastor Excited to Serve During This Pandemic

My very close friend Tom Mullins is the founding pastor of Christ Fellowship Church in Florida .
His son Todd has now served as senior pastor for 10 years , while Tom remains on the teaching team .
Together , they ’ ve seen CFC grow to 13 physical campuses .
Now , the 14th campus — the online campus — is the largest .
And during the COVID-19 crisis , it ’ s reaching people like never before .
When I called Tom to see how how he was faring with the pandemic , he could not be more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to serve South Florida in its time of need .
Just as the family of God is supposed to .
The Church is Made for Times of Crisis James Robison : Tom , when I called you this week in reference to the current pandemic , you were so excited you could hardly talk .
You made it clear that you were watching God reveal Himself more clearly than ever through the church .
Please share some of the things God is doing in the state of Florida through Christ Fellowship .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe the church is made for these times of crisis .
That ’ s when we shine the best .
The early church grew the fastest during great times of persecution and need .
The church has the answers — the true Source of peace .
When others are caught up in so much anxiety , praise God , we have the Prince of Peace at our side .
We have the people ready to respond in these times of need .
So I see this whole pandemic as an opportunity for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in our nation .
Many pastors are sensing the same thing .
We realize we have unique opportunities that we can seize to really minister to people .
As an example , we started reaching out to every elderly person in our own church — we literally called tens of thousands of people .
What ’ s interesting is that some of these people no longer attend Christ Fellowship .
They said , “ We no longer come to Christ Fellowship.
” We said , “ That doesn ’ t matter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” God has put an open door before us to demonstrate His love .
In our area , the communities are open to us like never before .
We approached all of the city mayors — from Boca Raton north to Vero Beach out to Belle Glade , Boynton Beach , Royal Palm and all over this region where we are .
Every one of them was open to us coming in and saying , “ How can we serve you ?
” We went to all of the police departments , sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have relationships with many of them because of the hurricane relief we bring … but we were able to take it up a notch .
In Riviera Beach , the mayor compiled a list of all the homes that had people over the age of 65 .
We reached out to all of these homes personally and ministered to them .
We took everything from paper towels to toilet paper , food , supplies and water to all of these homes .
We asked what they needed .
“ Can we get medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” James : We have seen the same thing happen all over the world through the outreaches of LIFE , which is one of the reasons you and I became close .
You wanted to encourage people to help us reach out to “ the least of these , ” recognizing that when they saw the love of God , they receive the source of that love and were won to Christ by the millions .
Tom , you are indeed reaching people for Christ .
In fact , you commented to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took your services online .
Tom : On our campuses , we have approximately 30,000 physically join us on weekends .
Then on a typical weekend , we have between 80,000 to 100,000 join us online .
For Easter , we had well over 600,000 join us online , with thousands receiving Christ .
On average , we are now ministering to 300,000-400,000 people online each weekend .
We ’ ve recruited an army of our dream team , our volunteers who typically serve on all of our campuses .
Now they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
We ’ ve been forced to be innovative with the virtual connection that we have online .
It ’ s opening new dimensions of ministry , and it ’ s also forcing us to think about how we better connect and share the message of Christ with those on the other side of that camera .
You ’ ve been doing that for years because you and Betty have had this vision — connecting with an audience that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the camera .
But most of us in our churches have focused on the audience that is present before us .
Now we ’ re realizing we have such a vast audience on the other side of the camera and in the virtual world , and are asking ourselves how we can best connect with them .
How do we even design our services so that they connect better ?
How do we communicate the gospel so it is presented better ?
Also , every week we have multiple talks with pastors across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are facing , how we can be more innovative and connect better with people .
It ’ s amazing how it is bringing us together .
I think it is a unifying factor for the body .
I know this has been your prayer , James , and we share this common vision that we want to create such a bond of love among our church leaders that God ’ s kingdom is what we think about .
We are kingdom leaders who are not letting the things of the past keep us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unified love because of His kingdom purpose .
That ’ s why I believe a movement has been started here .
It is forcing all of us to get outside the four walls of our church and into the marketplace .
We ’ re in people ’ s homes in this virtual world , and it ’ s giving us unique and wonderful new opportunities .
We ’ re endeavoring to seize those opportunities to the best of our ability .
James : Tom , starting 10 years ago I began asking very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or tribes ” to come together , and we watched a miracle occur .
These leaders realized we all have the same Father and are in that family .
I believe you and I witnessed the greatest manifestation of unity and love in recent years between these church leaders .
As a result of it , I think we have seen many positive things take place in our nation to impact church , business and national leadership .
The supernatural unity Jesus prayed for is necessary to overcome the adverse effects of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I are of the age that we have some reference points from many years ago when there was such distinct barriers between churches and movements and denominations .
Praise God , I ’ m witnessing , especially out of our emerging leaders , the hunger for this supernatural unity and clear understanding of kingdom purpose .
It is truly answered prayer .
James , I was raised by my grandfather , who was a wonderful man of God .
He was a big guy — about 6 ’ 4 ” — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love God and love people .
He instilled in my heart a vision for the kingdom of God .
He crossed all kinds of denominational barriers , racial barriers and everything in his day — I ’ m talking about the ‘ 50s and ‘ 60s .
He really gave me a glimpse of what it means to think kingdom , and he built this anticipation in me that there was going to be this great move of God before the return of Christ that would unite the church .
I really do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stages of seeing this movement of God .
It has gotten me so excited in these times .
God is opening doors for us to love people and share the message of life and hope , and to allow His light to shine brightly .
This week we will be hosting a major feeding program right here on our mothership campus in Palm Beach Gardens , where everything started for us .
We are expecting thousands of people , and we ’ re going to love and encourage them , feed them and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In every care package , we have a scripture of hope for them and contact information for a prayer line .
Also , the school board has allowed us to become one of the noon feeding programs at many of our schools where parents are coming to pick up food for their children .
We ’ re passing out backpacks along with the food , and in those backpacks are some games and fun things for kids to do .
But also , there are some Bible lessons for parents to do with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of encouragement .
James : From the time you and I became really close friends , I knew I had met a man who was a kingdom servant .
You wanted God ’ s best for us and our ministry , and you wanted that for everybody .
I think you saw that ’ s what we wanted .
We joined together with others who realized we can be an answer to the prayer of Jesus and become “ the city on the hill that could not be hidden.
” We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beautiful to see .
It is the power of God , through His body — the church — that can prevent the “ gates of hell ” from prevailing in national life on our watch .
Tom , thank you so much for being a blessing to me and Betty , LIFE Outreach and all the people we help all over the world .
We rejoice with you over every victory at Christ Fellowship and on your campuses .
Tom : You set the standard for us , James , in reaching our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fellowship are honored to be a small part of the ministries supporting you and God ’ s kingdom purpose .

My very close friend Tom Mullins is the founding pastor of Christ Fellowship Church in Florida. His son Todd has now served as senior pastor for 10 years, while Tom remains on the teaching team. Together, they’ve seen CFC grow to 13 physical campuses. Now, the 14th campus — the online campus — is the largest. And during the COVID-19 crisis, it’s reaching people like never before.
When I called Tom to see how how he was faring with the pandemic, he could not be more enthused about how his church has stepped up to serve South Florida in its time of need. Just as the family of God is supposed to.
The Church is Made for Times of Crisis
James Robison: Tom, when I called you this week in reference to the current pandemic, you were so excited you could hardly talk. You made it clear that you were watching God reveal Himself more clearly than ever through the church. Please share some of the things God is doing in the state of Florida through Christ Fellowship.
Tom Mullins: James, I really believe the church is made for these times of crisis. That’s when we shine the best. The early church grew the fastest during great times of persecution and need.
The church has the answers — the true Source of peace. When others are caught up in so much anxiety, praise God, we have the Prince of Peace at our side. We have the people ready to respond in these times of need. So I see this whole pandemic as an opportunity for a supernatural movement of God in our world and in our nation.
Many pastors are sensing the same thing. We realize we have unique opportunities that we can seize to really minister to people.
As an example, we started reaching out to every elderly person in our own church — we literally called tens of thousands of people. What’s interesting is that some of these people no longer attend Christ Fellowship. They said, “We no longer come to Christ Fellowship.” We said, “That doesn’t matter. We’re here to serve you.” God has put an open door before us to demonstrate His love.
In our area, the communities are open to us like never before. We approached all of the city mayors — from Boca Raton north to Vero Beach out to Belle Glade, Boynton Beach, Royal Palm and all over this region where we are. Every one of them was open to us coming in and saying, “How can we serve you?”
We went to all of the police departments, sheriff departments and fire stations. We already have relationships with many of them because of the hurricane relief we bring … but we were able to take it up a notch.
Christ Fellowship Church
In Riviera Beach, the mayor compiled a list of all the homes that had people over the age of 65. We reached out to all of these homes personally and ministered to them. We took everything from paper towels to toilet paper, food, supplies and water to all of these homes. We asked what they needed. “Can we get medicine for you? What can we do?”
James: We have seen the same thing happen all over the world through the outreaches of LIFE, which is one of the reasons you and I became close. You wanted to encourage people to help us reach out to “the least of these,” recognizing that when they saw the love of God, they receive the source of that love and were won to Christ by the millions.
An Online Explosion
Tom, you are indeed reaching people for Christ. In fact, you commented to me about what happened when you recently took your services online.
Tom: On our campuses, we have approximately 30,000 physically join us on weekends. Then on a typical weekend, we have between 80,000 to 100,000 join us online.
For Easter, we had well over 600,000 join us online, with thousands receiving Christ. On average, we are now ministering to 300,000-400,000 people online each weekend. We’ve recruited an army of our dream team, our volunteers who typically serve on all of our campuses. Now they are serving online.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
We’ve been forced to be innovative with the virtual connection that we have online. It’s opening new dimensions of ministry, and it’s also forcing us to think about how we better connect and share the message of Christ with those on the other side of that camera.
You’ve been doing that for years because you and Betty have had this vision — connecting with an audience that’s on the other side of the camera. But most of us in our churches have focused on the audience that is present before us. Now we’re realizing we have such a vast audience on the other side of the camera and in the virtual world, and are asking ourselves how we can best connect with them. How do we even design our services so that they connect better? How do we communicate the gospel so it is presented better?
Also, every week we have multiple talks with pastors across America discussing best practices — what they are facing, how we can be more innovative and connect better with people. It’s amazing how it is bringing us together. I think it is a unifying factor for the body.
I know this has been your prayer, James, and we share this common vision that we want to create such a bond of love among our church leaders that God’s kingdom is what we think about. We are kingdom leaders who are not letting the things of the past keep us divided, but we work together in unified love because of His kingdom purpose. That’s why I believe a movement has been started here.
It is forcing all of us to get outside the four walls of our church and into the marketplace. We’re in people’s homes in this virtual world, and it’s giving us unique and wonderful new opportunities. We’re endeavoring to seize those opportunities to the best of our ability.
The Church Unifying
James: Tom, starting 10 years ago I began asking very diverse church leaders from different “camps or tribes” to come together, and we watched a miracle occur. These leaders realized we all have the same Father and are in that family. I believe you and I witnessed the greatest manifestation of unity and love in recent years between these church leaders. As a result of it, I think we have seen many positive things take place in our nation to impact church, business and national leadership. The supernatural unity Jesus prayed for is necessary to overcome the adverse effects of this pandemic.
Tom: Yes, you and I are of the age that we have some reference points from many years ago when there was such distinct barriers between churches and movements and denominations. Praise God, I’m witnessing, especially out of our emerging leaders, the hunger for this supernatural unity and clear understanding of kingdom purpose. It is truly answered prayer.
James, I was raised by my grandfather, who was a wonderful man of God. He was a big guy — about 6’4” — a great outdoorsman. Boy, did he love God and love people. He instilled in my heart a vision for the kingdom of God. He crossed all kinds of denominational barriers, racial barriers and everything in his day — I’m talking about the ‘50s and ‘60s. He really gave me a glimpse of what it means to think kingdom, and he built this anticipation in me that there was going to be this great move of God before the return of Christ that would unite the church.
I really do believe we’re in the beginning stages of seeing this movement of God. It has gotten me so excited in these times. God is opening doors for us to love people and share the message of life and hope, and to allow His light to shine brightly.
Christ Fellowship Church
This week we will be hosting a major feeding program right here on our mothership campus in Palm Beach Gardens, where everything started for us. We are expecting thousands of people, and we’re going to love and encourage them, feed them and give them practical things they need. In every care package, we have a scripture of hope for them and contact information for a prayer line.
Also, the school board has allowed us to become one of the noon feeding programs at many of our schools where parents are coming to pick up food for their children. We’re passing out backpacks along with the food, and in those backpacks are some games and fun things for kids to do. But also, there are some Bible lessons for parents to do with their children, and there are words of encouragement.
James: From the time you and I became really close friends, I knew I had met a man who was a kingdom servant. You wanted God’s best for us and our ministry, and you wanted that for everybody. I think you saw that’s what we wanted. We joined together with others who realized we can be an answer to the prayer of Jesus and become “the city on the hill that could not be hidden.”
We’re watching this happen, and it is beautiful to see. It is the power of God, through His body — the church — that can prevent the “gates of hell” from prevailing in national life on our watch.
Tom, thank you so much for being a blessing to me and Betty, LIFE Outreach and all the people we help all over the world. We rejoice with you over every victory at Christ Fellowship and on your campuses.
Tom: You set the standard for us, James, in reaching our communities for Christ. We at Christ Fellowship are honored to be a small part of the ministries supporting you and God’s kingdom purpose.
CALL TO ACTION: COVID-19 is causing massive disruptions in life. The Stream’s parent organization, LIFE Outreach International, is helping send waves of help. LIFE’s local mission partners are already distributing thousands of surgical masks, gloves and other sanitary supplies to first responders, hospitals and nursing homes. In addition, other partners have focused on distributing as many meals as possible to help those who need food. You can help with these efforts. Click here to donate.


thestream--2020-05-06--Hillsdale College Releases Free Symposium on ‘The Coronavirus and Public Policy’

If you haven ’ t heard of Hillsdale College , the institution was founded in 1844 by men and women who were grateful to God for the blessings of freedom and believed that education is the best way to keep that freedom .
As part of their education mission , Hillsdale has released a free five-part symposium looking at the coronavirus and the public policies made in response to it .
The series features Sen. Tom Cotton , R-Ala. , author and journalist Alex Berenson , investigative journalist Mark Hemingway , and economist Brian Wesbury .
In the first video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Sen. Cotton joins Hillsdale president Larry Arnn for an interview .
They discuss the origins of the coronavirus , China ’ s misinformation campaign , and the Chinese government ’ s wider agenda .
From there , the symposium examines “ The Failure of Expert Predictions and Models , ” “ The Lack of Preparedness of U.S. Public Health Agencies , ” “ The Economic Ramifications of Economic Shutdown ” and “ The Coronavirus and the Constitution.
” ( With certain governors and mayors stripping civil rights and shredding constitutional rights seemingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time educate ourselves and answer those who mock the ongoing dangers to liberty . )
You can watch the videos on Hillsdale ’ s symposium website .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .

If you haven’t heard of Hillsdale College, the institution was founded in 1844 by men and women who were grateful to God for the blessings of freedom and believed that education is the best way to keep that freedom.
As part of their education mission, Hillsdale has released a free five-part symposium looking at the coronavirus and the public policies made in response to it. The series features Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ala., author and journalist Alex Berenson, investigative journalist Mark Hemingway, and economist Brian Wesbury.
In the first video, “China and the Coronavirus,” Sen. Cotton joins Hillsdale president Larry Arnn for an interview. They discuss the origins of the coronavirus, China’s misinformation campaign, and the Chinese government’s wider agenda.
From there, the symposium examines “The Failure of Expert Predictions and Models,” “The Lack of Preparedness of U.S. Public Health Agencies,” “The Economic Ramifications of Economic Shutdown” and “The Coronavirus and the Constitution.” (With certain governors and mayors stripping civil rights and shredding constitutional rights seemingly by the moment, now’s the time educate ourselves and answer those who mock the ongoing dangers to liberty.)
You can watch the videos on Hillsdale’s symposium website.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.