thestream--2020-03-14--Democrats Criticize President Trump No Matter What

For the past three years or so , I ’ ve heard Democrats and the media ( but I repeat myself ) constantly assail President Trump for not having the proper character or temperament to be President .
But I ’ ve always felt that you could judge those things best by watching what someone does in a crisis .
So far in this pandemic , I have seen Trump move early and amid heavy criticism to try to stop people with infections from coming into the U.S. ( You can ’ t keep a virus out , but you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time . )
He has appointed the best people possible and given them the power , budget and leeway to do what they think needs to be done .
He has taken actions that he knew would kneecap the economy and harm his biggest reelection selling point , but he put the good of America first and did it anyway .
( I could name some other politicians who would not have done that in an election year — and when faced with the situation , didn ’ t . )
He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making the dangers of the disease very clear and reassuring people that it will be all right so don ’ t panic .
And he has reached out to the other Party , urging them to put partisanship aside and work together to deal with the crisis .
Democrats Try to Sneak in Leftist Wish List So … how has the other side responded ?
You know , the people with such high standards of “ character ” for others ?
Thus far , they have relentlessly attacked , mocked , criticized , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do .
They accused him of being racist for shutting down travel from China .
Then after it became clear that was a very smart move , they criticized him for not doing it sooner .
They blamed his speech for the drop in the Dow , even though markets were plummeting worldwide before he ever even spoke , and there was nothing he could have said that would have been interpreted as good news for stocks .
They claimed that Obama would have dealt with a health crisis much better , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in dealing with swine flu .
Plus , his Administration spent several years and around $ 2 billion just to create a health insurance website that didn ’ t work .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » Oh , and let ’ s not overlook the shameless , self-serving opportunism .
Like House Democrats ’ attempts to load up the emergency coronavirus funding bill with liberal wish list pork , including Nancy Pelosi ’ s attempt to sneak in taxpayer funding of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the idea of this bill is to prevent death , not subsidize it .
Fortunately , the GOP Senate will have time to go through the House bill and disinfect it , since Mitch McConnell canceled next week ’ s scheduled recess .
Joe Biden ( or more likely , his staffers ) rushed out a harsh criticism of Trump ’ s “ lack of leadership.
” And a list of things that Biden would have done , all of which have already been done by Trump .
Well , all except the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that no bias against Asian or Pacific American peoples be tolerated .
That ’ s the modern Democrats in a nutshell : so obsessed with identity politics that their No .
1 priority in dealing with a pandemic is to assume Americans will react to it like violent racists and virtual signal at us .
I ’ d like to see the lab work that shows the virus can not penetrate a thick layer of self-righteousness .
It ’ s also been noted how amazing it is that the solution to every crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already been pushing for .
For many , this crisis has been the perfect excuse to push for full government control of health care ( even as they are attacking the government under Trump for “ botching ” the handling of health care . )
Example : Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tried to claim that South Korea got the infection under control because they have “ single payer health care.
” Twitter users quickly reminded her that so does Italy , and they ’ re so overwhelmed that experts warn hospitals may deny care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Should we call the officials who have to break that news to the elderly Italians “ death panels ” ?
CNN Freaks Out Over “ Racist ” Language They Themselves Used As for the news media , I ’ m sure you know how well they reacted to Trump ’ s call for unity .
For instance , CNN ’ s Don Lemon nearly blew a gasket when he couldn ’ t get even noted Trump critic John Kasich to attack Trump ’ s handling of the crisis .
We ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declaring that Trump or anyone else who describes the disease as the “ Wuhan virus , ” the China virus or even a “ foreign virus ” is racist and xenophobic .
In doing this , they ’ re carrying water for the communist government in Beijing , which started calling that racist because even though it was 100 % accurate , it was bad for their phony image .
It ’ s actually no more racist than calling linguini “ Italian food.
” This prompted conservatives on social media to pull up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heads using those exact same terms over the past month .
Here ’ s a sample compilation .
I was genuinely hoping that the media and the Democrats would heed Trump ’ s call to put America first , set aside partisanship and pull together .
( Some , like California Gov .
Gavin Newsom , really are . )
But I guess that for some of them , that ’ s like expecting a duck not to quack .
It ’ s disgusting that they can see something that ’ s causing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to score cheap political points .
But their attempts are so obvious — and so repulsive — that this coronavirus episode might prove very costly to them in the long run .
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 .

For the past three years or so, I’ve heard Democrats and the media (but I repeat myself) constantly assail President Trump for not having the proper character or temperament to be President. But I’ve always felt that you could judge those things best by watching what someone does in a crisis.
So far in this pandemic, I have seen Trump move early and amid heavy criticism to try to stop people with infections from coming into the U.S. (You can’t keep a virus out, but you can slow it down and buy precious time.) He has appointed the best people possible and given them the power, budget and leeway to do what they think needs to be done.
He has taken actions that he knew would kneecap the economy and harm his biggest reelection selling point, but he put the good of America first and did it anyway. (I could name some other politicians who would not have done that in an election year — and when faced with the situation, didn’t.) He’s trying to walk a tightrope between making the dangers of the disease very clear and reassuring people that it will be all right so don’t panic. And he has reached out to the other Party, urging them to put partisanship aside and work together to deal with the crisis.
Democrats Try to Sneak in Leftist Wish List
So … how has the other side responded? You know, the people with such high standards of “character” for others? Thus far, they have relentlessly attacked, mocked, criticized, second-guessed and undermined everything Trump has tried to do. They accused him of being racist for shutting down travel from China. Then after it became clear that was a very smart move, they criticized him for not doing it sooner. They blamed his speech for the drop in the Dow, even though markets were plummeting worldwide before he ever even spoke, and there was nothing he could have said that would have been interpreted as good news for stocks.
They claimed that Obama would have dealt with a health crisis much better, even though he acted much more slowly in dealing with swine flu. Plus, his Administration spent several years and around $2 billion just to create a health insurance website that didn’t work.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Oh, and let’s not overlook the shameless, self-serving opportunism. Like House Democrats’ attempts to load up the emergency coronavirus funding bill with liberal wish list pork, including Nancy Pelosi’s attempt to sneak in taxpayer funding of abortion. Memo to Speaker Pelosi: the idea of this bill is to prevent death, not subsidize it.
Fortunately, the GOP Senate will have time to go through the House bill and disinfect it, since Mitch McConnell canceled next week’s scheduled recess.
Joe Biden Attacks Trump’s Response, Then Copies It
Joe Biden (or more likely, his staffers) rushed out a harsh criticism of Trump’s “lack of leadership.” And a list of things that Biden would have done, all of which have already been done by Trump. Well, all except the first thing, which was to insure that no bias against Asian or Pacific American peoples be tolerated. That’s the modern Democrats in a nutshell: so obsessed with identity politics that their No. 1 priority in dealing with a pandemic is to assume Americans will react to it like violent racists and virtual signal at us. I’d like to see the lab work that shows the virus cannot penetrate a thick layer of self-righteousness.
It’s also been noted how amazing it is that the solution to every crisis is to implement whatever the left has already been pushing for. For many, this crisis has been the perfect excuse to push for full government control of health care (even as they are attacking the government under Trump for “botching” the handling of health care.) Example: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tried to claim that South Korea got the infection under control because they have “single payer health care.”
Twitter users quickly reminded her that so does Italy, and they’re so overwhelmed that experts warn hospitals may deny care to elderly people and send them home. Should we call the officials who have to break that news to the elderly Italians “death panels”?
CNN Freaks Out Over “Racist” Language They Themselves Used
As for the news media, I’m sure you know how well they reacted to Trump’s call for unity. For instance, CNN’s Don Lemon nearly blew a gasket when he couldn’t get even noted Trump critic John Kasich to attack Trump’s handling of the crisis.
We’ve also had a rash of media outlets declaring that Trump or anyone else who describes the disease as the “Wuhan virus,” the China virus or even a “foreign virus” is racist and xenophobic. In doing this, they’re carrying water for the communist government in Beijing, which started calling that racist because even though it was 100% accurate, it was bad for their phony image. It’s actually no more racist than calling linguini “Italian food.”
This prompted conservatives on social media to pull up dozens of clips of the PC talking heads using those exact same terms over the past month. Here’s a sample compilation.
I was genuinely hoping that the media and the Democrats would heed Trump’s call to put America first, set aside partisanship and pull together. (Some, like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, really are.) But I guess that for some of them, that’s like expecting a duck not to quack. It’s disgusting that they can see something that’s causing so much human suffering as an opportunity to score cheap political points. But their attempts are so obvious — and so repulsive — that this coronavirus episode might prove very costly to them in the long run.
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--2020-03-14--50 Questions for Christians #9 & 10: ‘Whassamatta You Christians, Anyway?’

Part of an extended series of answers to Guy P. Harrison ’ s book 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian .
Read the series intro here .
No , my title here doesn ’ t quote one of Guy Harrison ’ s chapter titles .
Up until now in this series I ’ ve been taking one of his “ 50 questions ” per week .
This time I ’ m covering two of them : “ Have you read the Bible ?
” and “ Why do some Christians do bad things ?
” Mash them together and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whassamatta you Christians ?
What ’ s wrong with you ?
” His other question focus mostly on Christianity .
These two focus on what ’ s wrong with Christians .
I ’ ve got a question or two for him in return .
First , does he really intend to sound so much like an evangelical preacher ?
In his chapter on reading the Bible , I mean .
He wants us to do a lot more of it .
And I agree .
For years I ’ ve been urging Christians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t know the Bible .
It weakens their faith , and it weakens Christianity ’ s overall witness .
It ’ s touching , the way Harrison cares for our spiritual strength .
Is that what he wants ?
Or is it a pseudo-friendly mask for , “ Have you even noticed what a terrible book your Bible is ?
” It sure looks like it , when he says , “ Many Christians are surprised to hear about the murder of babies , the God-approved kidnapping and rape of female @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on how to be a good slave and an even better slave owner … the execution of homosexuals , and so on.
” He tries to act understanding : “ There may be reasonable arguments for many of these excerpts regarding context or interpretation , ” but the whole rest of his book argues he doesn ’ t really mean this .
( He claims that God is “ violent ” in the Bible , for example . )
In fact there are good explanations , whether most Christians know them or not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been neither as lazy nor as disinterested in moral questions as Harrison implies we must be today .
For the most part , though , this chapter is about what lazy Bible-readers we Christians are .
“ Bad , bad Christians , ” says the atheist , shaking his finger at us .
“ You really ought to read your Bible more !
” It ’ s even less subtle in his chapter on , “ Why do some Christians do bad things in the sight of Jesus ?
” How is it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do bad things when they supposedly believe that a judgmental god [ sic ] is close to them at all times and sees everything they do ?
… Are misbehaving Christians so impulsive that they just can ’ t stop themselves — even though they know God is present and staring right at them ?
Or could it be that they are less confident in the existence of an omniscient or omnipresent god [ sic ] than they let on ?
My first question to Harrison on this chapter : Where did you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfection ?
But he ’ s not just talking about ordinary Christian mistakes .
He ’ s talking about the big ones .
He wants to know whether we ’ d say some of these really bad Christians aren ’ t really Christians after all .
That answer ’ s easy : Some are , some aren ’ t .
Some may be struggling with their sin , others are definitely not even in the faith .
Harrison says nope , if they say they ’ re a Christian then they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time he makes that mistake , but he makes it big-time in this chapter : “ Behavior does not define a Christian , only the professed belief in Jesus as a god does that.
” Whoo-wee , but that ’ s wrong .
Actually , professing belief in Jesus as “ a god , ” as if he were one god among many , defines a non-Christian .
Does He Know What He ’ s Talking About ?
So I have to ask him another question .
“ Have you read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Christians not reading the Bible , he comes through as implying that he has .
Funny thing , though : He only refers to passages that show up all the time as atheist talking points .
If he ’ d actually read it , he should have known that Jesus gave a not-terribly-obscure message we call the Sermon on the Mount .
In it he warns of false teachers , saying , “ You will know them by their fruits ” ( Matt .
7:20 ) .
He goes on to tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a Christian is real ( Matthew 7:21-23 ) .
The point gets reinforced throughout the book of James .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » Has Harrison read any of the passages in which the Bible expects us to keep on being imperfect , but also tells us God has the answer ?
1 John 1:8-2:3 , for example ?
If we say we have no sin , we deceive ourselves , and the truth is not in us .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness .
If we say we have not sinned , we make him a liar , and his word is not in us .
My little children , I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin .
But if anyone does sin , we have an advocate with the Father , Jesus Christ the righteous .
He is the propitiation for our sins , and not for ours only but also for the sins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s read even a little of the Bible , the most familiar passages in the New Testament , know about this .
Harrison thinks people who believe in Christ should act like it .
I agree , but I know we won ’ t be perfect .
We rely on the grace of Christ at all times .
And I know that not everyone who claims to believe is truly a Christian .
I have a final question for Harrison , though .
What ’ s the term for people who act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bible , but don ’ t know such familiar things themselves ?
I ’ m going to suggest one : Pretenders .
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with The Stream , and the author of A Christian Mind : Thoughts on Life and Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical Conversations : A Christian Parent ’ s Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens , and the lead editor of True Reason : Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism .

Part of an extended series of answers to Guy P. Harrison’s book 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian. Read the series intro here.
No, my title here doesn’t quote one of Guy Harrison’s chapter titles. Up until now in this series I’ve been taking one of his “50 questions” per week. This time I’m covering two of them: “Have you read the Bible?” and “Why do some Christians do bad things?” Mash them together and it comes out a lot like, “Whassamatta you Christians? What’s wrong with you?”
His other question focus mostly on Christianity. These two focus on what’s wrong with Christians. I’ve got a question or two for him in return.
First, does he really intend to sound so much like an evangelical preacher? In his chapter on reading the Bible, I mean. He wants us to do a lot more of it. And I agree. For years I’ve been urging Christians to study up. Too many believers don’t know the Bible. It weakens their faith, and it weakens Christianity’s overall witness.
The Atheist’s Touching Concern for Christians’ Spirituality
It’s touching, the way Harrison cares for our spiritual strength. Is that what he wants? Or is it a pseudo-friendly mask for, “Have you even noticed what a terrible book your Bible is?” It sure looks like it, when he says, “Many Christians are surprised to hear about the murder of babies, the God-approved kidnapping and rape of female virgins in pillaged cities, the tips on how to be a good slave and an even better slave owner … the execution of homosexuals, and so on.”
Christian scholarship through the centuries has been neither as lazy nor as disinterested in moral questions as Harrison implies we must be today.
He tries to act understanding: “There may be reasonable arguments for many of these excerpts regarding context or interpretation,” but the whole rest of his book argues he doesn’t really mean this. (He claims that God is “violent” in the Bible, for example.)
In fact there are good explanations, whether most Christians know them or not. Christian scholarship through the centuries has been neither as lazy nor as disinterested in moral questions as Harrison implies we must be today.
For the most part, though, this chapter is about what lazy Bible-readers we Christians are. “Bad, bad Christians,” says the atheist, shaking his finger at us. “You really ought to read your Bible more!”
Bad Christians!
It’s even less subtle in his chapter on, “Why do some Christians do bad things in the sight of Jesus?”
How is it that so many Christians are able to do bad things when they supposedly believe that a judgmental god [sic] is close to them at all times and sees everything they do? … Are misbehaving Christians so impulsive that they just can’t stop themselves — even though they know God is present and staring right at them? Or could it be that they are less confident in the existence of an omniscient or omnipresent god [sic] than they let on?
My first question to Harrison on this chapter: Where did you ever read that following Jesus meant instant perfection?
What’s the term for people who act as if they’ve read the Bible, but don’t know such familiar things themselves?
But he’s not just talking about ordinary Christian mistakes. He’s talking about the big ones. He wants to know whether we’d say some of these really bad Christians aren’t really Christians after all. That answer’s easy: Some are, some aren’t. Some may be struggling with their sin, others are definitely not even in the faith.
Harrison says nope, if they say they’re a Christian then they’re a Christian. It’s not the first time he makes that mistake, but he makes it big-time in this chapter: “Behavior does not define a Christian, only the professed belief in Jesus as a god does that.”
Whoo-wee, but that’s wrong. Actually, professing belief in Jesus as “a god,” as if he were one god among many, defines a non-Christian.
Does He Know What He’s Talking About?
So I have to ask him another question. “Have you read the Bible?” In his chapter on Christians not reading the Bible, he comes through as implying that he has. Funny thing, though: He only refers to passages that show up all the time as atheist talking points. If he’d actually read it, he should have known that Jesus gave a not-terribly-obscure message we call the Sermon on the Mount. In it he warns of false teachers, saying, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:20). He goes on to tell us that not everyone who claims to be a Christian is real (Matthew 7:21-23). The point gets reinforced throughout the book of James.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Has Harrison read any of the passages in which the Bible expects us to keep on being imperfect, but also tells us God has the answer? 1 John 1:8-2:3, for example?
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
Anyone who’s read even a little of the Bible, the most familiar passages in the New Testament, know about this.
One Last Question
Harrison thinks people who believe in Christ should act like it. I agree, but I know we won’t be perfect. We rely on the grace of Christ at all times. And I know that not everyone who claims to believe is truly a Christian.
I have a final question for Harrison, though. What’s the term for people who act as if they’ve read the Bible, but don’t know such familiar things themselves? I’m going to suggest one: Pretenders.
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--2020-03-13--There is No Defense for Abortion Hypocrisy

During the South Carolina Democratic debate last month , Elizabeth Warren hit Michael Bloomberg with a 1995 allegation that the mayor once told a pregnant employee to “ kill it ” ( her child ) .
Warren said that she experienced discrimination while pregnant at age 21 .
“ At least I didn ’ t have a boss who said to me , ‘ Kill it , ’ the way Mayor Bloomberg is alleged to have said to one of his pregnant employees.
” The crowd booed .
But why this response ?
Warren is a committed supporter of Planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation .
Bloomberg has called abortion a “ fundamental human right.
” He has been praised by Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America for his views .
The crowd wasn ’ t responding negatively to abortion .
They were booing hearing the quiet part out loud : Kill it .
Kill it .
Abortion enthusiasts rely on euphemisms to hide the violent act they support .
Warren knew she could attack Bloomberg for talking about abortion in plain terms .
The truth is that Warren and Bloomberg have double standards on caring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the pro-abortion movement in which they hold power .
For them , championing a multi-billion dollar abortion vendor is praiseworthy .
But calling abortion “ killing ” instead of “ reproductive choice ” is forbidden .
As Mayor of New York City , Bloomberg started a Fatherhood Initiative .
The goal was to promote bonding between fathers and their children .
“ We want more children in our City to experience the encouragement , support and love of their fathers , ” Bloomberg said .
Yet , during his time as mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed in abortion than born alive .
Bloomberg did not seek life-affirming ways to curb the explosive abortion rate in his city .
He did advocate for the added destruction of human embryos for federal research .
Abortion Doesn ’ t Fit in Our Otherwise Pro-Life Culture Pro-abortion lawmakers have no issue with doctors giving anesthesia to babies during fetal surgeries .
Yet , all but two Senate Democrats voted to kill legislation that would protect pain-capable children from the pain of dismemberment and lethal injection abortions .
U.S. hospitals will do anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a parent who wants him or her to live .
Advances in technology help children born barely halfway through pregnancy survive outside the womb .
At the same time , abortions can be carried out until full-term gestation in numerous states .
The wish of a parent can be the difference between life and death for an innocent child .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » Americans also support mothers and children through popular taxpayer-funded programs .
WIC ( the Women , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USDA ) ensures that mothers and young children receive proper nutrition and care .
And the same government that funds WIC also sanctions the slaughter of thousands of children each day .
It also funds this industry with hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars .
And pro-abortion politicians work to kill government programs that offer alternatives to women considering abortion .
To recap : Abortion advocates support tax-funded programs to support women and “ wanted ” children .
They take no issue with fetal surgeries and hospital care that saves premature children .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that they are not discriminated against or pressured to abort .
And they also hold that parents should have the right to dismember , decapitate and poison their babies for any reason .
There is No Defense for the Hypocrisy There is simply no defense for this contradiction .
Either a child in the womb is a human being with the same human rights as all Americans , or she is a non-human with no human rights .
The lessons of American slavery teach that culture is corrupted when governments fail to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Warren have exited the race , but their ideas remain .
Americans should be vigilant .
They should listen for what political candidates say about abortion .
And they should listen for what they refuse to say .
It ’ s not too late to reject the abortion industry and hold elected officials to honoring all human lives , including those in the womb .
Lila Rose is the Founder and President of Live Action , a national pro-life nonprofit organization dedicated to ending abortion .
Follow her on Twitter .

During the South Carolina Democratic debate last month, Elizabeth Warren hit Michael Bloomberg with a 1995 allegation that the mayor once told a pregnant employee to “kill it” (her child). Warren said that she experienced discrimination while pregnant at age 21. “At least I didn’t have a boss who said to me, ‘Kill it,’ the way Mayor Bloomberg is alleged to have said to one of his pregnant employees.” The crowd booed.
But why this response? Warren is a committed supporter of Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion vendor in the nation. Bloomberg has called abortion a “fundamental human right.” He has been praised by Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America for his views.
The crowd wasn’t responding negatively to abortion. They were booing hearing the quiet part out loud: Kill it. Kill it. Abortion enthusiasts rely on euphemisms to hide the violent act they support. Warren knew she could attack Bloomberg for talking about abortion in plain terms.
The Doublethink of Abortion Support
The truth is that Warren and Bloomberg have double standards on caring for children. These are propped up by the pro-abortion movement in which they hold power. For them, championing a multi-billion dollar abortion vendor is praiseworthy. But calling abortion “killing” instead of “reproductive choice” is forbidden.
And this tendency infests mainstream culture.
Calling abortion “killing” instead of “reproductive choice” is forbidden. And this tendency infests mainstream culture.
As Mayor of New York City, Bloomberg started a Fatherhood Initiative. The goal was to promote bonding between fathers and their children. “We want more children in our City to experience the encouragement, support and love of their fathers,” Bloomberg said. Yet, during his time as mayor of NYC, more African-American children were killed in abortion than born alive. Bloomberg did not seek life-affirming ways to curb the explosive abortion rate in his city. He did advocate for the added destruction of human embryos for federal research.
Abortion Doesn’t Fit in Our Otherwise Pro-Life Culture
Pro-abortion lawmakers have no issue with doctors giving anesthesia to babies during fetal surgeries. Yet, all but two Senate Democrats voted to kill legislation that would protect pain-capable children from the pain of dismemberment and lethal injection abortions.
U.S. hospitals will do anything to save a premature baby born to a parent who wants him or her to live. Advances in technology help children born barely halfway through pregnancy survive outside the womb. At the same time, abortions can be carried out until full-term gestation in numerous states. The wish of a parent can be the difference between life and death for an innocent child.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Americans also support mothers and children through popular taxpayer-funded programs. WIC (the Women, Infants, and Children program of the USDA) ensures that mothers and young children receive proper nutrition and care. And the same government that funds WIC also sanctions the slaughter of thousands of children each day. It also funds this industry with hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars. And pro-abortion politicians work to kill government programs that offer alternatives to women considering abortion.
To recap: Abortion advocates support tax-funded programs to support women and “wanted” children. They take no issue with fetal surgeries and hospital care that saves premature children. They also support protections for pregnant women so that they are not discriminated against or pressured to abort.
And they also hold that parents should have the right to dismember, decapitate and poison their babies for any reason.
There is No Defense for the Hypocrisy
There is simply no defense for this contradiction. Either a child in the womb is a human being with the same human rights as all Americans, or she is a non-human with no human rights. The lessons of American slavery teach that culture is corrupted when governments fail to acknowledge the humanity of all.
The lessons of American slavery teach that culture is corrupted when governments fail to acknowledge the humanity of all.
Bloomberg and Warren have exited the race, but their ideas remain. Americans should be vigilant. They should listen for what political candidates say about abortion. And they should listen for what they refuse to say. It’s not too late to reject the abortion industry and hold elected officials to honoring all human lives, including those in the womb.
Lila Rose is the Founder and President of Live Action, a national pro-life nonprofit organization dedicated to ending abortion. Follow her on Twitter.


thestream--2020-03-13--Texas Bishop Tells Catholic Priests in His Diocese to Lead Eucharistic Processions to Fight Coronavi

Texas Bishop Tells Catholic Priests in His Diocese to Lead Eucharistic Processions to Fight Coronavirus

A Tyler , Texas , bishop has asked each Catholic priest in his diocese to lead a “ Eucharistic Procession ” around their church to fight Coronavirus .
Catholics believe that Jesus comes to us in the bread and wine used in Communion .
In a procession , Catholics follow Jesus in the host through the public streets , praying and singing hymns .
It symbolizes our pilgrimage as Christians through life , but also declares to the world that Jesus is Lord .
Including Lord over disease and death .
Bishop Joseph Strickland called for the procession following a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hartline .
Hartline called on every bishop across the nation to lead a procession around their local church and pray .
Get Out There and Pray Hartline tweeted , “ Every bishop .
Every city .
Process with the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of your city !
GET OUT THERE with Jesus and PRAY for divine mercy and protection !
LIFT THE LORD HIGH !
You have apostolic authority — USE IT !
!
Where is your supernatural faith ?
!
?
@ USCCB.
” Hartline then tweeted specific bishops , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do this .
That ’ s the kind of bishop you are.
” Strickland responded with a tweet of his own : “ Wonderful idea .
I will begin preparing to do this and encourage others to do the same .
Jesus Christ is LORD !
!
!
.
” Strickland then tweeted a call to other bishops to do the same .
“ I call on every Catholic priest to lead a simple Eucharistic Procession around your Church sometime before the Feast of St. Joseph , March 19 , for repentance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coronavirus & that all men may be Godly , manly sons & disciples of His Son Jesus Christ.
” Friday morning Strickland led the Eucharistic Procession after the 7:00 a.m. mass .
It was held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler , Texas .
Strickland wrote on his website that the procession was “ a great blessing and a moment of grace.
” While the crowd was larger than usual , people kept their distance in light of the coronavirus .
During the Procession Strickland and others prayed , pausing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lord of Lords to offer His grace and protection.
” They proceeded outside and prayed for Tyler , the Diocese , the nation and all of God ’ s people around the world .
Strickland added that God miraculously answered his prayer that the rain would hold off until after the Procession .
“ Last night I said a prayer that if the Procession was the Lord ’ s will the rain would hold off .
It literally began to rain as I was leaving the Cathedral after the Procession .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weather of East Texas but I encourage all people of faith to deepen our ‘ faith instinct ’ and believe that as Christ promises , when we ask in prayer the Lord hears us.
” According to LifeSiteNews , Strickland said he only preaches the truth of Christ .
“ I ’ m ordained to shepherd people according to that truth.
” He added , “ So it ’ s my job to teach what Christ teaches and so people , the laity that feel supported , hopefully they do feel supported.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenged because it ’ s not exactly a comfortable gospel , ” he continued .
“ [ I ] t ’ s a narrow path , in all aspects of living Catholic life of following Christ .
It ’ s a narrow path that is hard to walk.
” Strickland isn ’ t the only one to lead a procession in response to the Coronavirus .
Other priests are performing similar acts of faith .
Lebanese Christian Maronite priest Majdi Allawi took the Blessed Sacrament flying on a plane above Beirut .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city on the back of a truck with a large statue of Mary .
He blessed the residents , streets and houses .
Fr .
John Zuhlsdorf , a priest and blogger , encouraged other priests to add Masses .
Catholics understand that service as a prayer that can be offered for special intentions .
He asked bishops to ask their priests to say an extra Mass every day , offered as a prayer against the spread of the disease .
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

A Tyler, Texas, bishop has asked each Catholic priest in his diocese to lead a “Eucharistic Procession” around their church to fight Coronavirus.
Catholics believe that Jesus comes to us in the bread and wine used in Communion. In a procession, Catholics follow Jesus in the host through the public streets, praying and singing hymns. It symbolizes our pilgrimage as Christians through life, but also declares to the world that Jesus is Lord. Including Lord over disease and death.
Bishop Joseph Strickland called for the procession following a tweet from Stream senior contributor, Jennifer Hartline. Hartline called on every bishop across the nation to lead a procession around their local church and pray.
Get Out There and Pray
Hartline tweeted, “Every bishop. Every city. Process with the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of your city! GET OUT THERE with Jesus and PRAY for divine mercy and protection! LIFT THE LORD HIGH! You have apostolic authority — USE IT!! Where is your supernatural faith?!?@USCCB.”
Every bishop. Every city. Process with the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of your city! GET OUT THERE with Jesus and PRAY for divine mercy and protection! LIFT THE LORD HIGH! You have apostolic authority — USE IT!! Where is your supernatural faith?!?@USCCB — Jennifer Hartline (@jenniehartline) March 10, 2020
Hartline then tweeted specific bishops, including Strickland. “I believe YOU WILL do this. That’s the kind of bishop you are.” Strickland responded with a tweet of his own: “Wonderful idea. I will begin preparing to do this and encourage others to do the same. Jesus Christ is LORD!!!.”
Wonderful idea. I will begin preparing to do this and encourage others to do the same. Jesus Christ is LORD!!! https://t.co/VRNZYDESUb — Bishop J. Strickland (@Bishopoftyler) March 11, 2020
Strickland then tweeted a call to other bishops to do the same. “I call on every Catholic priest to lead a simple Eucharistic Procession around your Church sometime before the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19, for repentance, Christ’s healing hand on the Coronavirus & that all men may be Godly, manly sons & disciples of His Son Jesus Christ.”
I call on every Catholic priest to lead a simple Eucharistic Procession around your Church sometime before the Feast of St Joseph, March 19, for repentance, Christ’s healing hand on the Coronavirus & that all men may be Godly, manly sons & disciples of His Son Jesus Christ. — Bishop J. Strickland (@Bishopoftyler) March 11, 2020
Friday morning Strickland led the Eucharistic Procession after the 7:00 a.m. mass. It was held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler, Texas. Strickland wrote on his website that the procession was “a great blessing and a moment of grace.” While the crowd was larger than usual, people kept their distance in light of the coronavirus.
During the Procession Strickland and others prayed, pausing in each direction. They asked “the Lord of Lords to offer His grace and protection.” They proceeded outside and prayed for Tyler, the Diocese, the nation and all of God’s people around the world.
Strickland added that God miraculously answered his prayer that the rain would hold off until after the Procession. “Last night I said a prayer that if the Procession was the Lord’s will the rain would hold off. It literally began to rain as I was leaving the Cathedral after the Procession. Many would discount this as just the quirky weather of East Texas but I encourage all people of faith to deepen our ‘faith instinct’ and believe that as Christ promises, when we ask in prayer the Lord hears us.”
According to LifeSiteNews, Strickland said he only preaches the truth of Christ. “I’m ordained to shepherd people according to that truth.” He added, “So it’s my job to teach what Christ teaches and so people, the laity that feel supported, hopefully they do feel supported.”
“I’m sure some feel challenged because it’s not exactly a comfortable gospel,” he continued. “[I]t’s a narrow path, in all aspects of living Catholic life of following Christ. It’s a narrow path that is hard to walk.”
Other Acts of Faith
Strickland isn’t the only one to lead a procession in response to the Coronavirus. Other priests are performing similar acts of faith.
Lebanese Christian Maronite priest Majdi Allawi took the Blessed Sacrament flying on a plane above Beirut.
This weekend @AFP flew with Lebanese Christian Maronite priest Majdi Allawi as he took to the skies above #Beirut to bless the crisis-hit country and protect it from the Coronavirus as fears of its spread spike | #COVIDー19 pic.twitter.com/S14fJIpGiT — Dylan Collins (@collinsdyl) March 9, 2020
An Italian priest from Bibione rode through the city on the back of a truck with a large statue of Mary. He blessed the residents, streets and houses.
Ve la giro come arrivata su WApp – Il parroco di Bibione, ha preso l’ape ci ha caricato sopra la statua della madonna ed è andato in giro per il paese a benedire strade e case, fermato dai carabinieri ha risposto: sto lavorando!!! Un grande!!! – pic.twitter.com/wsYYYhGQiw — Ibis Maria ⭐ (@ibisrosso) March 11, 2020
Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, a priest and blogger, encouraged other priests to add Masses. Catholics understand that service as a prayer that can be offered for special intentions. He asked bishops to ask their priests to say an extra Mass every day, offered as a prayer against the spread of the disease.
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-03-13--Biden’s ‘Charming’ Rudeness and Instability

The left ’ s reaction to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden ’ s rude exchange with a union worker in Michigan is a case study on liberal hypocrisy and propaganda .
You ’ d have to be living in a cave not to recognize that something is way off with Biden .
He ’ s always been strange , but he ’ s getting noticeably worse .
His rhetorical recklessness is a feature , not a bug .
He has a history of gaffes , especially for someone so prominent .
Casual ethnic slurs roll off his tongue like water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pandering to an Indian American supporter , he said : “ You can not go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin ’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent .
I ’ m not joking.
” Or how about this tribute to the poor ?
“ We have this notion that somehow if you ’ re poor , you can not do it , ” he said .
“ Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids.
” How long would a Republican politician last saying those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because he ’ s a Democrat .
Just when he needs to be most careful , Biden is tripping all over himself , with blunders , aggression and hostility .
When challenged , he shows no kindness or patience .
He attacks and escalates .
Understanding liberal media bias , we aren ’ t surprised that the media whitewash these incidents .
But their hypocrisy is particularly glaring , given their routine condemnation of President Donald Trump for much less .
They say Trump is uncouth , vulgar , combative , rude and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; he ’ s a dangerous bore , a walking impeachment machine .
He has to be removed before he ushers in Armageddon .
GOP never-Trumpers are so mortified at the horrors of Trump in office that they ’ re supporting liberal Democrats .
But what about Biden , whom many now support ?
No problem .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » Trump supporters admire Trump for standing up to Democrats and the media — unlike his Republican predecessors and unlike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump haters ridiculed Trump supporters as being interested only in “ owning the libs ” and not Trump ’ s policies .
This was insultingly absurd and illustrated the cluelessness of never-Trumpers about Trump supporters .
Trump haters ’ indifference to Biden ’ s incompetence , gaffes and rudeness exposes their dishonesty and their Trump Derangement Syndrome .
Some who denounced Trump supporters for overlooking Trump ’ s faults find the same characteristics charming in Biden .
Their reaction to a viral video of Biden ’ s confrontation with a Detroit autoworker is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ actively trying to end our Second Amendment right and take away our guns , ” and Biden responded , “ You ’ re full of s—-.
” When the worker pointed out Biden ’ s ties to former Rep. Beto O ’ Rourke , who has bragged that he would come for Americans ’ guns , Biden angrily denied it .
He repeatedly pointed his fingers at the worker , who mimicked Biden ’ s hand gestures and said , “ This is not OK. ” This further enraged Biden , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me that , pal , or I ’ m going to go outside with you.
” “ You ’ re working for me , ” said the worker .
“ I ’ m not working for you , ” said Biden .
“ Don ’ t be such a horse ’ s a—.
” The media didn ’ t call Biden on his lies or say he is unstable .
They didn ’ t condemn his rudeness but found him charming .
Some doctored the video to cut Biden ’ s threatening remarks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Some people see that as charming that a candidate is willing to air it out face to face with a guy on the floor.
” So King is OK with Biden attacking a voter but draws the line with Trump calling out media hacks ?
“ I think when you listen to Joe … out on the campaign trail , you see something that resonates with voters , ” said Mike Barnicle .
“ It ’ s humanity .
It ’ s empathy .
It ’ s stability and experience.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Joe Scarbrough said , “ Biden yesterday showed the other side of his humanity , and that is he ’ s a fighter.
” Yet these clowns ridicule us for appreciating Trump ’ s willingness to fight back .
After Biden ’ s second string of primary victories on “ Super Tuesday 2 , ” MSNBC commentators gushed over his “ very soft tone of voice … as if you ’ re in the living room with him ” and praised him for promising to restore “ honor ” to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Reiner posted a love tweet for Biden : “ A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Science , Compassion , Decency , The Rule of Law & Democracy .
A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Sanity.
” Fellow Hollywood commie Debra Messing tweeted , “ @ JoeBiden will be our next President because of his decency and civility and his refusal to lower himself to your surrogates ’ & supporters level.
” Sometimes it ’ s more effective to let actions and words speak for themselves , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment , trusting you ’ re every bit as capable as I am of seeing the glaring hypocrisy and bias .
David Limbaugh is a writer , author and attorney .
His latest book is Guilty by Reason of Insanity : Why the Democrats Must Not Win .
Follow him on Twitter @ davidlimbaugh and his website at www.davidlimbaugh.com .

The left’s reaction to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s rude exchange with a union worker in Michigan is a case study on liberal hypocrisy and propaganda.
You’d have to be living in a cave not to recognize that something is way off with Biden. He’s always been strange, but he’s getting noticeably worse. His rhetorical recklessness is a feature, not a bug.
He has a history of gaffes, especially for someone so prominent. Casual ethnic slurs roll off his tongue like water off a donkey’s back. Pandering to an Indian American supporter, he said: “You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking.” Or how about this tribute to the poor? “We have this notion that somehow if you’re poor, you cannot do it,” he said. “Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids.”
How long would a Republican politician last saying those things? Biden always gets a pass because he’s a Democrat.
The Glaring Hypocrisy
Just when he needs to be most careful, Biden is tripping all over himself, with blunders, aggression and hostility. When challenged, he shows no kindness or patience. He attacks and escalates.
Understanding liberal media bias, we aren’t surprised that the media whitewash these incidents. But their hypocrisy is particularly glaring, given their routine condemnation of President Donald Trump for much less.
They say Trump is uncouth, vulgar, combative, rude and insane. Never mind his policy successes; he’s a dangerous bore, a walking impeachment machine. He has to be removed before he ushers in Armageddon. GOP never-Trumpers are so mortified at the horrors of Trump in office that they’re supporting liberal Democrats. But what about Biden, whom many now support? No problem.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Trump supporters admire Trump for standing up to Democrats and the media — unlike his Republican predecessors and unlike most of the pre-Trump GOP. But Trump haters ridiculed Trump supporters as being interested only in “owning the libs” and not Trump’s policies. This was insultingly absurd and illustrated the cluelessness of never-Trumpers about Trump supporters.
Trump haters’ indifference to Biden’s incompetence, gaffes and rudeness exposes their dishonesty and their Trump Derangement Syndrome. Some who denounced Trump supporters for overlooking Trump’s faults find the same characteristics charming in Biden.
Their reaction to a viral video of Biden’s confrontation with a Detroit autoworker is instructive. The worker accused Biden of “actively trying to end our Second Amendment right and take away our guns,” and Biden responded, “You’re full of s—-.” When the worker pointed out Biden’s ties to former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who has bragged that he would come for Americans’ guns, Biden angrily denied it. He repeatedly pointed his fingers at the worker, who mimicked Biden’s hand gestures and said, “This is not OK.” This further enraged Biden, who said, “Don’t tell me that, pal, or I’m going to go outside with you.” “You’re working for me,” said the worker. “I’m not working for you,” said Biden. “Don’t be such a horse’s a—.”
The Biased Media
The media didn’t call Biden on his lies or say he is unstable. They didn’t condemn his rudeness but found him charming. Some doctored the video to cut Biden’s threatening remarks.
CNN’s John King said, “Some people see that as charming that a candidate is willing to air it out face to face with a guy on the floor.” So King is OK with Biden attacking a voter but draws the line with Trump calling out media hacks?
“I think when you listen to Joe … out on the campaign trail, you see something that resonates with voters,” said Mike Barnicle. “It’s humanity. It’s empathy. It’s stability and experience.” Empathy? Stability? Wow!
MSNBC’s Joe Scarbrough said, “Biden yesterday showed the other side of his humanity, and that is he’s a fighter.” Yet these clowns ridicule us for appreciating Trump’s willingness to fight back.
After Biden’s second string of primary victories on “Super Tuesday 2,” MSNBC commentators gushed over his “very soft tone of voice … as if you’re in the living room with him” and praised him for promising to restore “honor” to the presidency.
Hollywood leftist Rob “Meathead” Reiner posted a love tweet for Biden: “A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Science, Compassion, Decency, The Rule of Law & Democracy. A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Sanity.” Fellow Hollywood commie Debra Messing tweeted, “@JoeBiden will be our next President because of his decency and civility and his refusal to lower himself to your surrogates’ & supporters level.”
Sometimes it’s more effective to let actions and words speak for themselves, so I’ll refrain from further comment, trusting you’re every bit as capable as I am of seeing the glaring hypocrisy and bias.
David Limbaugh is a writer, author and attorney. His latest book is Guilty by Reason of Insanity: Why the Democrats Must Not Win. Follow him on Twitter @davidlimbaugh and his website at www.davidlimbaugh.com.
COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM


thestream--2020-03-13--Coronavirus Spread Echoes Iran’s Destructive Influence in the Region and the World

In Iran , official estimates of the infection rate and death toll from coronavirus keep accelerating .
But even after 54 deaths on Tuesday alone , the regime ’ s narrative of the local epidemic is still nowhere near reality .
According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran ( NCRI ) — a coalition leading the push for a democratic alternative to the clerical regime — more than 3,000 deaths can already be attributed to an outbreak that has encompassed 139 cities across every Iranian province .
This information comes from intelligence-gathering by the NCRI ’ s main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MEK ) .
The MEK maintains an elaborate network throughout Iranian society and inside the regime .
Several of its activists have lost their lives while helping the virus victims , it said .
It has previously proven to be a reliable source of information about various other matters , including the clerical regime ’ s clandestine nuclear work and anti-regime protests .
The NCRI issued a full report on the scale of Iran ’ s COVID-19 outbreak on March 10 .
As well as contradicting Tehran ’ s low-ball estimates for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report details the ways in which authorities bungled their response to early reports of the illness spreading from China to Iran .
It also notes that the epidemic is rapidly spreading within a number of Iranian prisons , facilitated in large part by the regime ’ s chronic disregard for the well-being of prisoners , especially political prisoners .
The president-elect of National Council of Resistance of Iran , Maryam Rajavi , earlier urged human rights defenders and the international community to “ take urgent action to save the lives of the prisoners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” But there is little evidence that anyone internationally has taken serious action .
The new report highlights the ways in which the coronavirus outbreak is re-focusing a longstanding conflict between the Iranian regime and its people .
It notes , for instance , that both President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have attempted to cover up the coronavirus spread .
Medical supplies have been misappropriated , under-utilized , or hoarded and resold by corrupt institutions that are tied to the clerical regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ( IRGC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the country ’ s medical and health care resources … must be put at the disposal of the Iranian people , hospitals , and physicians , ” instead of being left with the likes of security forces and the IRGC .
The ayatollahs rejected the concept of large-scale quarantine out of hand , leading to the disease spreading like wildfire from its singular hub in the holy city of Qom .
The decision to leave Qom open to travel and tourism has led the situation to escalate to a point at which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures to isolate Iran .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » These measures , unfortunately , are part of a reaction to the damage the Iranian regime has already done beyond its own borders .
COVID-19 involving people who traveled to Iran have been recorded in around 10 other countries in the region , as well as Australia , Canada , and the United States .
In fact , at a time when the spread of the virus seems to have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original came from , COVID-19 is now using Iran as perhaps its greatest single vector for global transmission .
It would be wise for the international community to think of this as a metaphor for the Iranian regime ’ s overall role in the region and the world .
The worsening epidemic is a testament to the mullahs ’ disregard for the welfare of its own people and humanity overall .
To the mullahs , the only thing that matters is their hold on power .
The Regime ’ s Mismanagement of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity to take hold of their own affairs , the coronavirus death toll will only continue to accelerate .
And even if the damage from this one crisis proves to be something less than irreparable , there will inevitably be others that showcase the regime ’ s same destructive impulses .
The mismanagement of the outbreak “ has been very costly to the regime , ” according to the NCRI report .
And this came close on the heels of mass protests against that regime , sparked by the sharing of entirely different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups .
There is little doubt that that same population will rise up again .
The international community should take this time to consider how they will stand with the participants in such an uprising .
Doing so , in one way or another , would benefit not just the Iranian people ’ s welfare but also the long-term prospects for democracy in the Middle East and peace throughout the world .
Ken Blackwell is the former United States Ambassador to United Nations Human Rights Commission , who served as an adviser to @ @ @ @ @

In Iran, official estimates of the infection rate and death toll from coronavirus keep accelerating. But even after 54 deaths on Tuesday alone, the regime’s narrative of the local epidemic is still nowhere near reality.
According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) — a coalition leading the push for a democratic alternative to the clerical regime — more than 3,000 deaths can already be attributed to an outbreak that has encompassed 139 cities across every Iranian province.
A Reliable Source
This information comes from intelligence-gathering by the NCRI’s main constituent group, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK). The MEK maintains an elaborate network throughout Iranian society and inside the regime. Several of its activists have lost their lives while helping the virus victims, it said. It has previously proven to be a reliable source of information about various other matters, including the clerical regime’s clandestine nuclear work and anti-regime protests.
The Epidemic is Spreading Rapidly
The NCRI issued a full report on the scale of Iran’s COVID-19 outbreak on March 10. As well as contradicting Tehran’s low-ball estimates for the numbers of infections and deaths, the report details the ways in which authorities bungled their response to early reports of the illness spreading from China to Iran. It also notes that the epidemic is rapidly spreading within a number of Iranian prisons, facilitated in large part by the regime’s chronic disregard for the well-being of prisoners, especially political prisoners.
The president-elect of National Council of Resistance of Iran, Maryam Rajavi, earlier urged human rights defenders and the international community to “take urgent action to save the lives of the prisoners, and prevent a major humanitarian catastrophe.” But there is little evidence that anyone internationally has taken serious action.
It would be wise for the international community to think of this as a metaphor for the Iranian regime’s overall role in the region and the world.
The new report highlights the ways in which the coronavirus outbreak is re-focusing a longstanding conflict between the Iranian regime and its people. It notes, for instance, that both President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have attempted to cover up the coronavirus spread.
Medical supplies have been misappropriated, under-utilized, or hoarded and resold by corrupt institutions that are tied to the clerical regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Mrs. Rajavi has said that “the country’s medical and health care resources … must be put at the disposal of the Iranian people, hospitals, and physicians,” instead of being left with the likes of security forces and the IRGC.
Isolating Iran
The ayatollahs rejected the concept of large-scale quarantine out of hand, leading to the disease spreading like wildfire from its singular hub in the holy city of Qom.
The decision to leave Qom open to travel and tourism has led the situation to escalate to a point at which numerous other countries are implementing their own measures to isolate Iran.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
These measures, unfortunately, are part of a reaction to the damage the Iranian regime has already done beyond its own borders. COVID-19 involving people who traveled to Iran have been recorded in around 10 other countries in the region, as well as Australia, Canada, and the United States. In fact, at a time when the spread of the virus seems to have been largely contained in China, where it original came from, COVID-19 is now using Iran as perhaps its greatest single vector for global transmission.
It would be wise for the international community to think of this as a metaphor for the Iranian regime’s overall role in the region and the world. The worsening epidemic is a testament to the mullahs’ disregard for the welfare of its own people and humanity overall. To the mullahs, the only thing that matters is their hold on power.
The Regime’s Mismanagement of the Outbreak
Unless the Iranian people have an opportunity to take hold of their own affairs, the coronavirus death toll will only continue to accelerate. And even if the damage from this one crisis proves to be something less than irreparable, there will inevitably be others that showcase the regime’s same destructive impulses.
The mismanagement of the outbreak “has been very costly to the regime,” according to the NCRI report. And this came close on the heels of mass protests against that regime, sparked by the sharing of entirely different grievances among Iran’s various demographic groups. There is little doubt that that same population will rise up again.
The international community should take this time to consider how they will stand with the participants in such an uprising. Doing so, in one way or another, would benefit not just the Iranian people’s welfare but also the long-term prospects for democracy in the Middle East and peace throughout the world.
Ken Blackwell is the former United States Ambassador to United Nations Human Rights Commission, who served as an adviser to Trump/Pence Presidential Transition Operations.


thestream--2020-03-15--Why Christians Should Care About Economic Ideas

Ideas have consequences .
John Piper articulates this when he tells the story of Victor Frankl , who was imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camps of Auschwitz and Dachau .
Regarding ideas , Frankl wrote : Christians understand that ideas matter , as this understanding applies to our faith and our lives within the body of Christ .
And that ’ s why the apostle Paul encouraged the church at Philippi to dwell on that which is pure and right — because what we think about has consequences in the real world .
Despite this truth , we often separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public square .
The ideas that you hear on the evening news cover important topics for Christians to be engaged in , including : • Which policies best care for the poor ?
• Are there limits on public debt ?
• How do we improve healthcare ?
How we answer these questions should be based on God ’ s truth , which includes the economic way of thinking .
We may think that these issues don ’ t carry the same weight as our other spiritual issues .
However , questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » The Real Life Consequences of the Economic Ideas Dominating the 20th Century The economic debate between economists John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich Hayek provides a striking example of how economic ideas have major consequences .
Their debate , covered so well in the book Commanding Heights and its three-part PBS documentary corollary , is fundamentally about whether the state or the market is best poised to promote flourishing .
Keynes took the position that : • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systemic failure .
• The state is an important corrector of those market failures .
• Federal spending has a “ multiplier effect , ” meaning you get more growth than you spend .
• The market is best able to bring dispersed individuals together , through trade , to serve one another .
• Wealth accumulation benefits all members of society , especially the poor .
Belittled , But Was He Wrong ?
Hayek was belittled for his ideas .
Keynes was heralded .
Economist Peter Boettke points out that Keynesian theory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excessive aggregation .
This theory presumes that we know more than we actually ever could about “ managing ” an economy .
These are the same ideas that led Soviet leaders to attempt to “ manage ” their economy through command and control .
It is no coincidence that the twentieth century was the bloodiest century in human history .
The ideas of totalitarianism and communism started in the universities and made their way into policy .
These policies had devastating and unthinkable human consequences .
Deaths resulting from direct government action against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are called , then , as Christians to engage in the culture and be a force for good .
We can and should fight against bad ideas .
The contention between the ideas of Keynes and Hayek mattered .
Likewise , Christians need to understand and engage in the economic debates on the news .
These issues all have important consequences for life as we know it today as we work to further God ’ s coming kingdom .
This article is republished with permission from the Institute for Faith , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IFWE is a Christian research organization committed to advancing biblical and economic principles that help individuals find fulfillment in their work and contribute to a free and flourishing society .
Visit https : //tifwe.org/subscribe to subscribe to the free IFWE Daily Blog .
Anne Bradley , Ph.D. , is the George and Sally Mayer Fellow for Economic Education and the academic director at The Fund for American Studies .
She also serves as the Vice President of Economic Initiatives at the Institute for Faith , Work & Economics .
She served as co-editor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Counting the Cost : Christian Perspectives on Capitalism ( Abilene Christian University Press ) and For the Least of These : A Biblical Answer to Poverty ( Zondervan ) .

Ideas have consequences. John Piper articulates this when he tells the story of Victor Frankl, who was imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camps of Auschwitz and Dachau. Regarding ideas, Frankl wrote:
I am absolutely convinced that the gas chambers of Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Maidanek were ultimately prepared not in some ministry or other in Berlin, but rather at the desks and in the lecture halls of nihilistic scientists and philosophers.
Christians understand that ideas matter, as this understanding applies to our faith and our lives within the body of Christ. And that’s why the apostle Paul encouraged the church at Philippi to dwell on that which is pure and right — because what we think about has consequences in the real world.
Real World Issues Are Spiritual Issues
Despite this truth, we often separate this part of our lives from the the public square. The ideas that you hear on the evening news cover important topics for Christians to be engaged in, including:
Which policies best care for the poor?
Are there limits on public debt?
Should we regulate businesses?
How do we improve healthcare?
How we answer these questions should be based on God’s truth, which includes the economic way of thinking. We may think that these issues don’t carry the same weight as our other spiritual issues. However, questions such as these are spiritual issues.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
The Real Life Consequences of the Economic Ideas Dominating the 20th Century
The economic debate between economists John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich Hayek provides a striking example of how economic ideas have major consequences. Their debate, covered so well in the book Commanding Heights and its three-part PBS documentary corollary, is fundamentally about whether the state or the market is best poised to promote flourishing.
Keynes took the position that:
The market is unpredictable and subject to systemic failure.
The state is an important corrector of those market failures.
Federal spending has a “multiplier effect,” meaning you get more growth than you spend.
Government spending is a positive force for economic growth.
In contrast, Hayek believed that:
The market is best able to bring dispersed individuals together, through trade, to serve one another.
This service leads to wealth accumulation.
Wealth accumulation benefits all members of society, especially the poor.
Belittled, But Was He Wrong?
Hayek was belittled for his ideas. Keynes was heralded. Economist Peter Boettke points out that Keynesian theory relies on scientism, formalism, and excessive aggregation. This theory presumes that we know more than we actually ever could about “managing” an economy. These are the same ideas that led Soviet leaders to attempt to “manage” their economy through command and control.
It is no coincidence that the twentieth century was the bloodiest century in human history. The ideas of totalitarianism and communism started in the universities and made their way into policy. These policies had devastating and unthinkable human consequences. Deaths resulting from direct government action against citizens in the twentieth century reached 262,000,000.
We are called, then, as Christians to engage in the culture and be a force for good. We can and should fight against bad ideas. The contention between the ideas of Keynes and Hayek mattered. Likewise, Christians need to understand and engage in the economic debates on the news. These issues all have important consequences for life as we know it today as we work to further God’s coming kingdom.
This article is republished with permission from the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics (www.tifwe.org). IFWE is a Christian research organization committed to advancing biblical and economic principles that help individuals find fulfillment in their work and contribute to a free and flourishing society. Visit https://tifwe.org/subscribe to subscribe to the free IFWE Daily Blog.
Anne Bradley, Ph.D., is the George and Sally Mayer Fellow for Economic Education and the academic director at The Fund for American Studies. She also serves as the Vice President of Economic Initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics. She served as co-editor and contributing author to IFWE’s Counting the Cost: Christian Perspectives on Capitalism (Abilene Christian University Press) and For the Least of These: A Biblical Answer to Poverty (Zondervan).


thestream--2020-03-15--Why Prayer is Wise During a Pandemic

Why Prayer is Wise During a Pandemic

Evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne ’ s undies are in a knot because the coronavirus task force , led by U.S. vice president Mike Pence , prays together .
Oh my .
Of course , there ’ s nothing wrong with praying in a crisis .
Neanderthals no doubt proffered a few entreaties to their Zeus when a sabre-tooth tiger hunt went south .
It ’ s pretty much part of the human toolkit .
The wisdom and efficacy of prayer in a crisis depends wholly on one question : is the prayer directed to Someone who is real , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If the Object of supplication is real , then prayer is probably the first thing you want to do in a crisis .
A plea to the Boss is a fine preamble to the grunt work of managing a crisis .
I ’ m a neurosurgeon , and I pray before each operation .
It really helps .
If there is no real Object of supplication , then prayer is based on a delusion .
But it ’ s interesting to note that , as historian Rodney Stark has pointed out , prayer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives because faithful Christians stuck around during epidemics .
They provided care to afflicted neighbors who would not have survived except that they had kindly courageous friends to nurse them .
St. Jude ’ s Children ’ s Hospital — the world ’ s leading cancer center for children , was founded because of a prayer .
So the focus and compassion evoked by prayer saves lives , whether or not God is there to hear the prayer .
Of course , if God does not exist , Coyne is right to imply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But here ’ s the point : if God does exist , prayer is essential .
So , I ask Coyne , does God exist ?
Coyne ’ s answers to the pivotal question have been puerile .
His arguments center on an astonishing line of reasoning : So Coyne uses science that expunges theism to refute theism .
In short , he concludes that atheism is true by using a scientific method that presupposes atheism .
Oddly , Coyne finds this logic compelling .
It is noteworthy that Coyne ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God ’ s existence consist of his insistence that he really isn ’ t so stupid and he provides a few links .
He obviously doesn ’ t understand the arguments , nor does he wish to learn them .
If God exists , prayer in crisis is warranted and even essential .
The arguments for God ’ s existence are irrefutable .
Aquina ’ s Five Ways are a handy summary : Evidence for the existence of God , as provided by Aquinas , actually consists of the same logical and evidentiary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much stronger logic and more abundant evidence than any other scientific theory .
The prayer of the coronavirus task force is wise and wholly appropriate , for both theological and scientific reasons .
Michael R. Egnor , MD , is a Senior fellow at the Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence .
He is also Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at State University of New York , Stony Brook , has served as the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery , and award-winning brain surgeon .
He was named one of New York ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2005 .
He has lectured extensively throughout the United States and Europe .

Evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne ’s undies are in a knot because the coronavirus task force, led by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, prays together. Oh my.
There’s even a picture of the virus task force praying together! We don’t need prayer; we need science! Here’s the photo, which distresses me but doesn’t surprise me… [a]fter all, one godly intervention is just as delusional as another! (Jerry Coyne, “JESUS ‘N’ MO ‘N’ PENCE” at Why Evolution is True)
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with praying in a crisis. Neanderthals no doubt proffered a few entreaties to their Zeus when a sabre-tooth tiger hunt went south. It’s pretty much part of the human toolkit. The wisdom and efficacy of prayer in a crisis depends wholly on one question: is the prayer directed to Someone who is real, or is prayer based on a delusion?
If the Object of supplication is real, then prayer is probably the first thing you want to do in a crisis. A plea to the Boss is a fine preamble to the grunt work of managing a crisis. I’m a neurosurgeon, and I pray before each operation. It really helps.
Christian Prayer and Faith Saves Lives
If there is no real Object of supplication, then prayer is based on a delusion. But it’s interesting to note that, as historian Rodney Stark has pointed out, prayer and Christian faith during ancient epidemics saved lives because faithful Christians stuck around during epidemics. They provided care to afflicted neighbors who would not have survived except that they had kindly courageous friends to nurse them. St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital — the world’s leading cancer center for children, was founded because of a prayer. So the focus and compassion evoked by prayer saves lives, whether or not God is there to hear the prayer.
Of course, if God does not exist, Coyne is right to imply that prayer is based on a delusion. But here’s the point: if God does exist, prayer is essential.
An Curious Line of Reasoning
So, I ask Coyne, does God exist? Coyne’s answers to the pivotal question have been puerile. His arguments center on an astonishing line of reasoning:
1) [S]cience is about finding material explanations of the world
2) Only materialistic explanations have been found by science
3) Therefore, no non-material explanations for nature are needed.
So Coyne uses science that expunges theism to refute theism. In short, he concludes that atheism is true by using a scientific method that presupposes atheism. Oddly, Coyne finds this logic compelling.
It is noteworthy that Coyne’s efforts to refute the actual arguments for God’s existence consist of his insistence that he really isn’t so stupid and he provides a few links. He obviously doesn’t understand the arguments, nor does he wish to learn them.
If God exists, prayer in crisis is warranted and even essential. The arguments for God’s existence are irrefutable. Aquina’s Five Ways are a handy summary:
Evidence for the existence of God, as provided by Aquinas, actually consists of the same logical and evidentiary process as science itself, only with much stronger logic and more abundant evidence than any other scientific theory.
The prayer of the coronavirus task force is wise and wholly appropriate, for both theological and scientific reasons.
Michael R. Egnor, MD, is a Senior fellow at the Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence. He is also Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at State University of New York, Stony Brook, has served as the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery, and award-winning brain surgeon. He was named one of New York’s best doctors by the New York Magazine in 2005. He has lectured extensively throughout the United States and Europe.
Originally published at MineMatters.AI. Reprinted with permission.


thestream--2020-03-15--One Day Everything Will Be Shaken

One Day Everything Will Be Shaken

It ’ s true that the coronavirus is causing upheaval around the world .
Whole countries are being quarantined .
Massive sports events are being cancelled .
Schools are being closed .
The stock markets are collapsing .
But this is a mere tremor compared to what is coming .
One day the whole earth will be shaken .
As the author of Hebrews tells us , the Lord “ has promised , ‘ Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.
’ The words ‘ once more ’ indicate the removing of what can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things — so that what can not be shaken may remain ” ( Hebrews 12:26-27 ) .
Everything will be shaken on that day .
This is how Jesus described it : “ There will be signs in the sun , moon and stars .
On the earth , nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea .
People will faint from terror , apprehensive of what is coming on the world , for the heavenly bodies will be shaken ” ( Luke 21:25-26 ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Book of Revelation , “ Then the kings of the earth , the princes , the generals , the rich , the mighty , and everyone else , both slave and free , hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains .
They called to the mountains and the rocks , ‘ Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb !
For the great day of their wrath has come , and who can withstand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Can you even imagine a scene like this ?
Very few want to talk about God ’ s judgment today , even within the church .
Preachers choose to avoid it , and the congregants cheer them on .
“ Give us sweet stuff !
Give us happy stuff !
Tell us nice stories .
Make us smile !
We don ’ t want to hear about judgment .
That makes God sound mean.
” To the contrary , that makes God sound just .
He will judge unrighteousness .
He will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retribution .
That is good news for the righteous and the godly .
As the psalmist said , “ Let all creation rejoice before the LORD , for he comes , he comes to judge the earth .
He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness ” ( Psalm 96:13 ) .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » Judgment on the wicked also means salvation for the righteous .
The Book of Revelation also speaks of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrath on the earth , resulting in horrific judgments on those who refuse to repent ( see Revelation 16 ) .
There will be no vaccines or cures on that day .
There will be no intervention by the federal government .
There will be no way of escape – other than running to the Lord for mercy and taking refuge under His wings .
Isaiah put it like this ( please read this slowly and prayerfully ) : See , the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scatter its inhabitants— it will be the same for priest as for people , for the master as for his servant , for the mistress as for her servant , for seller as for buyer , for borrower as for lender , for debtor as for creditor .
The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered .
The LORD has spoken this word .
The earth dries up and withers , the world languishes and withers , the heavens languish with the earth .
The earth is defiled by its people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant .
Therefore a curse consumes the earth ; its people must bear their guilt .
Therefore earth ’ s inhabitants are burned up , and very few are left ( Isaiah 24:1–6 ) .
Even if we understand that the prophets sometimes spoke in hyperbolic language , the overall meaning of these words is undeniable : one day severe judgment will fall on a guilty planet .
Yet There is Hope Yet even in the midst of this terrifying description , there are words of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact , there is a divine invitation to take refuge in Him : As Proverbs states , “ The name of the LORD is a fortified tower ; the righteous run to it and are safe ” ( Proverbs 18:10 ) .
And as Psalm 91 declares , there is a place of protection , a hiding place , in God Most High .
( See here for an exposition of the psalm in Hebrew . )
That ’ s why Jesus said this to His followers , immediately after warning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the earth : “ When these things begin to take place , stand up and lift up your heads , because your redemption is drawing near ” ( Luke 21:28 ) .
The coming of the Lord is at hand .
And that ’ s why the very passage from Hebrews that we quoted at the beginning of this article ends with this : “ Therefore , since we are receiving a kingdom that can not be shaken , let us be thankful , and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire.
’ ” ( Hebrews 12:28–29 ) The whole world will be shaken , but God ’ s kingdom — and God ’ s people — will not be shaken .
As the psalmist declared , “ God is our refuge and strength , an ever-present help in trouble .
Therefore we will not fear , though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea , though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging .
There is a river whose streams make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holy place where the Most High dwells .
God is within her , she will not fall ; God will help her at break of day ” ( Psalm 46:1–5 ) .
And this : “ Surely the righteous will never be shaken ; they will be remembered forever .
They will have no fear of bad news ; their hearts are steadfast , trusting in the LORD .
Their hearts are secure , they will have no fear ; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes ” ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the coronavirus has taken many lives so far , and every life is precious .
And it is true that many more lives could be lost , along with real suffering for hundreds of millions due to economic crises .
But this is only a small blip on the radar compared to what is coming .
Now would be a good time for us , as God ’ s holy people , to learn to trust Him in the midst of crisis , putting our spiritual roots down deep .
Now would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all life is transitory and that , at best , we are only passing through this world .
Now would be a good time to take hold afresh of the beauty of the cross and the gift of eternal life .
And now would be a good time to be used as agents of mercy and hope to a hurting world .
In Jesus , we have all that we will ever need .
And in Him , we will never be shaken .
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radio program .
His latest book is Jezebel ’ s War With America : The Plot to Destroy Our Country and What We Can Do to Turn the Tide .
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

It’s true that the coronavirus is causing upheaval around the world. Whole countries are being quarantined. Massive sports events are being cancelled. Schools are being closed. The stock markets are collapsing. But this is a mere tremor compared to what is coming. One day the whole earth will be shaken.
As the author of Hebrews tells us, the Lord “has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what cannot be shaken may remain” (Hebrews 12:26-27).
Anguish and Perplexity
Everything will be shaken on that day.
This is how Jesus described it: “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken” (Luke 21:25-26).
Or, in the vivid language of the Book of Revelation, “Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?’” (Revelation 6:15-17)
Can you even imagine a scene like this?
God’s Judgement
Very few want to talk about God’s judgment today, even within the church.
Preachers choose to avoid it, and the congregants cheer them on. “Give us sweet stuff! Give us happy stuff! Tell us nice stories. Make us smile! We don’t want to hear about judgment. That makes God sound mean.”
To the contrary, that makes God sound just. He will judge unrighteousness. He will punish the wicked. He will bring retribution.
That is good news for the righteous and the godly. As the psalmist said, “Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness” (Psalm 96:13).
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Judgment on the wicked also means salvation for the righteous.
The Book of Revelation also speaks of the pouring out of 7 bowls of divine wrath on the earth, resulting in horrific judgments on those who refuse to repent (see Revelation 16).
There will be no vaccines or cures on that day.
There will be no intervention by the federal government.
There will be no way of escape – other than running to the Lord for mercy and taking refuge under His wings.
Judgment is certainly coming!
Isaiah put it like this (please read this slowly and prayerfully):
See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants— it will be the same for priest as for people, for the master as for his servant, for the mistress as for her servant, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor. The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The LORD has spoken this word. The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the heavens languish with the earth. The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left (Isaiah 24:1–6).
Even if we understand that the prophets sometimes spoke in hyperbolic language, the overall meaning of these words is undeniable: one day severe judgment will fall on a guilty planet.
Yet There is Hope
Yet even in the midst of this terrifying description, there are words of hope for God’s people. In fact, there is a divine invitation to take refuge in Him:
Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer (Isaiah 26:20–21).
As Proverbs states, “The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10). And as Psalm 91 declares, there is a place of protection, a hiding place, in God Most High. (See here for an exposition of the psalm in Hebrew.)
That’s why Jesus said this to His followers, immediately after warning of the judgment that would be coming to the earth: “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). The coming of the Lord is at hand.
And that’s why the very passage from Hebrews that we quoted at the beginning of this article ends with this: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.’” (Hebrews 12:28–29)
The whole world will be shaken, but God’s kingdom — and God’s people — will not be shaken.
As the psalmist declared, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day” (Psalm 46:1–5).
And this: “Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes” (Psalm 112:6–8).
Now’s a Good Time for Us
It is true that the coronavirus has taken many lives so far, and every life is precious. And it is true that many more lives could be lost, along with real suffering for hundreds of millions due to economic crises.
But this is only a small blip on the radar compared to what is coming.
Now would be a good time for us, as God’s holy people, to learn to trust Him in the midst of crisis, putting our spiritual roots down deep.
Now would be a good time to realize that all life is transitory and that, at best, we are only passing through this world.
Now would be a good time to take hold afresh of the beauty of the cross and the gift of eternal life.
And now would be a good time to be used as agents of mercy and hope to a hurting world. In Jesus, we have all that we will ever need. And in Him, we will never be shaken.
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Jezebel’s War With America: The Plot to Destroy Our Country and What We Can Do to Turn the Tide. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-03-15--Do Not Doubt God’s Deliverance!

Do Not Doubt God’s Deliverance!

“ And David said in his heart , I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul.
” – 1 Samuel 27:1 The thought of David ’ s heart at this time was a false thought , because he certainly had no ground for thinking that God ’ s anointing him by Samuel was intended to be left as an empty unmeaning act .
On no one occasion had the Lord deserted his servant ; he had been placed in perilous positions very often , but not one instance had occurred in which divine interposition had not delivered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been exposed had been varied ; they had not assumed one form only , but many-yet in every case he who sent the trial had also graciously ordained a way of escape .
David could not put his finger upon any entry in his diary , and say of it , “ Here is evidence that the Lord will forsake me , ” for the entire tenor of his past life proved the very reverse .
He should have argued from what God had done for him , that God would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » But is it not just in the same way that we doubt God ’ s help ?
Is it not mistrust without a cause ?
Have we ever had the shadow of a reason to doubt our Father ’ s goodness ?
Have not his lovingkindnesses been marvellous ?
Has he once failed to justify our trust ?
Ah , no !
our God has not left us at any time .
We have had dark nights , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid the blackness ; we have been in stern conflicts , but over our head he has held aloft the shield of our defence .
We have gone through many trials , but never to our detriment , always to our advantage ; and the conclusion from our past experience is , that he who has been with us in six troubles , will not forsake us in the seventh .
What we have known of our faithful God , proves that he will keep us to the end .
Let us not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How can we ever be so ungenerous as to doubt our God ?
Lord , throw down the Jezebel of our unbelief , and let the dogs devour it .

“And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul.”
– 1 Samuel 27:1
The thought of David’s heart at this time was a false thought, because he certainly had no ground for thinking that God’s anointing him by Samuel was intended to be left as an empty unmeaning act.
On no one occasion had the Lord deserted his servant; he had been placed in perilous positions very often, but not one instance had occurred in which divine interposition had not delivered him. The trials to which he had been exposed had been varied; they had not assumed one form only, but many-yet in every case he who sent the trial had also graciously ordained a way of escape.
David could not put his finger upon any entry in his diary, and say of it, “Here is evidence that the Lord will forsake me,” for the entire tenor of his past life proved the very reverse. He should have argued from what God had done for him, that God would be his defender still.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
But is it not just in the same way that we doubt God’s help? Is it not mistrust without a cause? Have we ever had the shadow of a reason to doubt our Father’s goodness? Have not his lovingkindnesses been marvellous? Has he once failed to justify our trust? Ah, no! our God has not left us at any time.
We have had dark nights, but the star of love has shone forth amid the blackness; we have been in stern conflicts, but over our head he has held aloft the shield of our defence. We have gone through many trials, but never to our detriment, always to our advantage; and the conclusion from our past experience is, that he who has been with us in six troubles, will not forsake us in the seventh.
What we have known of our faithful God, proves that he will keep us to the end. Let us not, then, reason contrary to evidence. How can we ever be so ungenerous as to doubt our God?
Lord, throw down the Jezebel of our unbelief, and let the dogs devour it.