thestream--2020-09-19--Did Ruth Bader Ginsburg Die for Our Sins?

We shouldn ’ t rush to interpret current events as the will of God .
But unless we see Him as a distant , disinterested Watchmaker , we must think that Our Lord nudges events along at crucial times .
So the Old Testament tells us , and our theology agrees .
We must remain modest and careful in our speculations .
Stay careful to label them as provisional , not decisive .
But if we do all that , I think it ’ s okay to wonder .
For instance , did God call home Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at just this moment for some special reason ?
Perhaps .
Maybe God wants to strip away the veneer of lies and distortions surrounding our upcoming vote in November .
Then force us to see what ’ s really at stake .
To take us to the brink of the left ’ s slippery , Gadarene slope overlooking the sea and warn us : “ I have set before you life and death , blessing and curse ; therefore choose life , that you and your descendants may live ” ( Deut .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Die Slowly and Hideously of the Virus Right now the Democrats , with fanatical help from the mainstream media , are saying exactly that — hijacking scriptural truths , even as Satan did in the desert .
They ’ re claiming that if President Trump wins , millions of Americans will die from COVID .
If Democrats win , they will live .
The core Democrat message is just that brutal and crude .
And it might well have worked , if Justice Ginsburg had lived a few more weeks .
But God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think He has given up on America just yet .
The left has shamelessly used the COVID crisis for crass political benefit from the word “ Go.
” First the Democrats waved it off , to tar President Trump as “ xenophobic ” for banning travel from China — and finish impeaching him based on a pack of lies .
Nancy Pelosi legged it to Chinatown , and urged people to swarm Lunar New Year .
Bill de Blasio was literally the last man sweating at any gym in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City would have lots of virus cases , since it ’ s so “ welcoming ” of immigrants .
Then someone sent out the memo .
Maybe a fax came in from Democrats ’ friends in Communist China , who ’ d banned domestic travel while sending virus carriers all around the world .
That message gave the Democrats the heads-up : this virus was really serious .
So it was time to politicize it in the opposite direction , to claim contamination phobia as a Democrat issue .
To tank Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ churches , and blame every virus death on Donald Trump — as Joe Biden actually has .
To make exceptions to a public health emergency for riots burning police stations .
Even , with a staggering shamelessness , to put forth NY Governor Andrew Cuomo as the face of public health .
To canonize a man who dumped virus patients on nursing homes , killing thousands of veterans and grandparents .
I wrote months ago that the Democrats were counting on Stockholm Syndrome to carry them to victory .
They would lock us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdowns or rioting arsonists , make us dependent on government checks , and threaten us with violence if we didn ’ t vote as they told us .
And all my predictions , alas , came true .
A major political party is acting like the Symbionese Liberation Army , and expecting us to react like poor Patty Hearst .
After months of beatings , starvation , and rape , she joined their Marxist gang .
The black-clad hoodlums of Black Lives Matter and Antifa expect us to do the same .
Or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities , and we will die of the virus .
How We Can Really Choose Life That ’ s one heckuva campaign platform , I have to say .
It echoes Michelle Obama ’ s message at the Democrat Convention , which in plain English was , “ Nice country you got there .
Be a real shame if something were to happen to it… .
” The death of a Supreme Court justice , who regarded abortion on demand as crucial for women ’ s equality and approved of its “ eugenic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Suddenly we ’ re not just thinking of ourselves , cringing behind our masks and seeing our neighbors as vectors of contagion .
Now we ’ re facing the real , basic life and death issue that divides America .
Is human life sacred at all ?
Do we see human beings as images of God deserving respect ?
Or as featherless bipeds blindly seeking pleasure , avoiding pain , whom we can kill if they ’ re small enough or weak enough ?
The American answer since the beginning has been the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not on the ancient , worldwide residual evil of slavery , but on the biblical vision of man .
As scholars have shown us and our founders insisted , the “ inalienable rights ” of the Declaration of Independence come straight out of scripture .
No pagan or godless worldview can sustain them .
For proof , read Robert Reilly , Eric Metaxas , Mark David Hall , or countless others .
The Left Out of Control The left has embraced the Void , and lost control of itself .
It will riot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scream that abortion and infanticide are everyone ’ s fundamental rights , in order to maximize our sexual freedom .
That this crass , sad little privilege is more important than innocent life , since Charles Darwin taught us all that No Lives Matter .
Not really .
The Church of Satan will helpfully march alongside Planned Parenthood , claiming that abortion for them is a sacred ritual .
Black Lives Matter will reaffirm its support for the mass killing of black kids in clinics .
Pudgy pink Catholic bishops who were blathering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ life issue ” might climb back in their hot tubs , perhaps even blush .
And maybe , just maybe , enough voters will see through the mask that this virus pulled over our eyes .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .
He is co-author with Jason Jones of “ God , Guns , & the Government .
”

We shouldn’t rush to interpret current events as the will of God. But unless we see Him as a distant, disinterested Watchmaker, we must think that Our Lord nudges events along at crucial times. So the Old Testament tells us, and our theology agrees. We must remain modest and careful in our speculations. Stay careful to label them as provisional, not decisive.
But if we do all that, I think it’s okay to wonder. For instance, did God call home Ruth Bader Ginsburg (long sick and overdue for retirement) at just this moment for some special reason? Perhaps.
Maybe God wants to strip away the veneer of lies and distortions surrounding our upcoming vote in November. Then force us to see what’s really at stake. To take us to the brink of the left’s slippery, Gadarene slope overlooking the sea and warn us: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live” (Deut. 30:19).
Vote for Us or Die Slowly and Hideously of the Virus
Right now the Democrats, with fanatical help from the mainstream media, are saying exactly that — hijacking scriptural truths, even as Satan did in the desert. They’re claiming that if President Trump wins, millions of Americans will die from COVID. If Democrats win, they will live. The core Democrat message is just that brutal and crude. And it might well have worked, if Justice Ginsburg had lived a few more weeks. But God is in control, and I don’t think He has given up on America just yet.
The left has shamelessly used the COVID crisis for crass political benefit from the word “Go.” First the Democrats waved it off, to tar President Trump as “xenophobic” for banning travel from China — and finish impeaching him based on a pack of lies. Nancy Pelosi legged it to Chinatown, and urged people to swarm Lunar New Year. Bill de Blasio was literally the last man sweating at any gym in New York City. Andrew Cuomo boasted that New York City would have lots of virus cases, since it’s so “welcoming” of immigrants.
Suddenly we’re not just thinking of ourselves, cringing behind our masks and seeing our neighbors as vectors of contagion. Now we’re facing the real, basic life and death issue that divides America: Is human life sacred at all?
Then someone sent out the memo. Maybe a fax came in from Democrats’ friends in Communist China, who’d banned domestic travel while sending virus carriers all around the world. That message gave the Democrats the heads-up: this virus was really serious.
Vote Like You’re a Handcuffed Patty Hearst
So it was time to politicize it in the opposite direction, to claim contamination phobia as a Democrat issue. To tank Trump’s thriving economy, close our churches, and blame every virus death on Donald Trump — as Joe Biden actually has. To make exceptions to a public health emergency for riots burning police stations. Even, with a staggering shamelessness, to put forth NY Governor Andrew Cuomo as the face of public health. To canonize a man who dumped virus patients on nursing homes, killing thousands of veterans and grandparents.
I wrote months ago that the Democrats were counting on Stockholm Syndrome to carry them to victory. They would lock us at home, trash our businesses via lockdowns or rioting arsonists, make us dependent on government checks, and threaten us with violence if we didn’t vote as they told us. And all my predictions, alas, came true.
A major political party is acting like the Symbionese Liberation Army, and expecting us to react like poor Patty Hearst. After months of beatings, starvation, and rape, she joined their Marxist gang. The black-clad hoodlums of Black Lives Matter and Antifa expect us to do the same. Or else they’ll burn down our cities, and we will die of the virus.
How We Can Really Choose Life
That’s one heckuva campaign platform, I have to say. It echoes Michelle Obama’s message at the Democrat Convention, which in plain English was, “Nice country you got there. Be a real shame if something were to happen to it… .”
The death of a Supreme Court justice, who regarded abortion on demand as crucial for women’s equality and approved of its “eugenic” side-effects, changes the narrative. Suddenly we’re not just thinking of ourselves, cringing behind our masks and seeing our neighbors as vectors of contagion. Now we’re facing the real, basic life and death issue that divides America. Is human life sacred at all? Do we see human beings as images of God deserving respect? Or as featherless bipeds blindly seeking pleasure, avoiding pain, whom we can kill if they’re small enough or weak enough?
The American answer since the beginning has been the Christian one. Our nation was founded not on the ancient, worldwide residual evil of slavery, but on the biblical vision of man. As scholars have shown us and our founders insisted, the “inalienable rights” of the Declaration of Independence come straight out of scripture. No pagan or godless worldview can sustain them. For proof, read Robert Reilly, Eric Metaxas, Mark David Hall, or countless others.
The Left Out of Control
The left has embraced the Void, and lost control of itself. It will riot again, attack more churches, and scream that abortion and infanticide are everyone’s fundamental rights, in order to maximize our sexual freedom. That this crass, sad little privilege is more important than innocent life, since Charles Darwin taught us all that No Lives Matter. Not really.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
The Church of Satan will helpfully march alongside Planned Parenthood, claiming that abortion for them is a sacred ritual. Black Lives Matter will reaffirm its support for the mass killing of black kids in clinics. Pudgy pink Catholic bishops who were blathering last week that open borders is a “life issue” might climb back in their hot tubs, perhaps even blush.
And maybe, just maybe, enough voters will see through the mask that this virus pulled over our eyes.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He is co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”


thestream--2020-09-19--An Open Letter to California Law Professors on Critical Race Theory

Last week you wrote an open letter blasting the Trump Administration for canceling Critical Race Theory training sessions in the federal government .
I found your letter revealing .
What it shows is not merely why Trump made the right call , and why we should dig such propaganda out from public service root and branch .
It also shows why Critical Race Theory is an enemy of American democracy , just as the administration asserted , for it undermines social harmony and sound reasoning .
And your letter also shows why the American education system stands in need of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We write with one voice ” to defend Critical Race Theory .
As lawyers , shouldn ’ t such unity of opinion trouble you ?
You brag of alleged “ diversity , ” when nearly all professors in the humanities and social sciences at American universities are left-wing .
Surveys show that Liberal Arts faculty are overwhelmingly registered Democrats rather than Republicans .
The ratio ranges from 5 to 1 in chemistry to 43 to 1 in sociology .
And the American faculty is becoming less diverse where it counts .
Georgetown University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Wall Street Journal that in 20 years of faculty searches , he was repeatedly instructed to spare no toil or expense to hire female and minority professors .
No wonder you speak with one voice !
You ’ ve shut opposing voices out of your schools !
And so a “ conversation on race ” at Berkeley becomes a bore , featuring only people who say the same thing in different ways .
Your so-called “ diversity ” has become a giant puppet show .
America ’ s legal system requires both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The prosecutor and the defense make opposing arguments .
The Law assumes that powers must be balanced , a concept that is fundamental to our free institutions .
So why is there so little balance of power in American universities today ?
You complain that Trump accuses CRT trainers of teaching “ two inaccurate and wildly oversimplified tenets .
The first is that the United States is “ an inherently racist or evil country.
” The second is that white people are ‘ inherently racist or evil.
’ ” Thus , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ field , interdisciplinary and global in scope ” to “ simplistic absurdities.
” Have you seen , though , Christopher Rufo ’ s description of brow-beating and overt racism federal employees have been subjected to ?
Why are you so confident that no abuses can possibly have occurred in these training programs ?
Did you attend those sessions ?
You say Trump has decided to “ ban federal employees from learning about ( CRT ) through trainings.
” Why is that a problem ?
Federal workers can buy copies of White Fragility and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the weekend .
Why should the people of the United States pay to train federal employees in Woke ideology ?
What we really object to , though , has less to do with federal employees learning about neo-Marxist beliefs , and much more to do with their arms being twisted to accept a philosophy we find both destructive and irrational .
I see little sign of “ unflinching honesty , ” sophistication , multi-disciplinary insight or global awareness in these words .
In this short passage alone , you use the words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ racist ” four times .
But you never mention the real determining factor , culture .
Inequalities , it seems , can only derive from personal or structural racism .
That ’ s a foundational tenet of CRT and your letter , which I find narrow , silly and ignorant .
( I detail my reasons for that in Letter to a “ Racist ” Nation . )
The hallmark of CRT seems to be its refusal to learn and deal honestly with the nature of global culture .
It ignores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comparative religion — even of nutritional studies !
Consider , for instance , Malaysia , inhabited mainly by four ethnic groups : Malays , Chinese , Indians and aboriginals .
Generally speaking , Chinese , who first domesticated the pig , still love to eat pork .
Malays , being mostly Muslim , do not .
That one cultural difference is sure to affect the lives of these two peoples one way or another .
Pork may prove a healthy source of protein .
Or poorly-cooked meat may transmit disease , or barbecues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may contribute to environmental pollution , or help Malaysia preserve its fisheries .
The point is , diverse cultures — our habits of life — naturally create diverse outcomes .
Diet alone may “ trigger ” diabetes , heart disease , cancer or preternaturally long lives .
“ Unflinchingly honest ” scholars such as you should recognize , in a non-judgmental way , how culture molds such differences .
Every aspect of culture will inevitably make a difference in the lives of those living under that “ sacred canopy.
” This begins with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : cuisine , holidays , sports , education , child-rearing , divorce , music and a “ tight ” or “ loose ” attitude towards authority , Culturally-informed choices explain why , globally , relatively powerless minorities often make more money .
( Chinese Malaysians also earn more than native Malays .
The gap is even greater in Indonesia , where they have been a persecuted minority . )
CRT misses this , and the oversight makes it a house built upon sand .
Your failure to recognize the importance of culture or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same lack of theoretical sophistication and global awareness that renders CRT akin to phrenology or voodoo .
You claim to experience the “ intellectual value ” of Critical Race Theory “ every day , ” through the “ brilliance ” of ( invariably left-wing ) scholars , whose work “ has shaped legislation , court cases , programs and policies.
” But that ’ s exactly what we ’ re worried about !
You seem to admit no possible downside to the cultural revolution you promote .
In the name of anti-racism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t even put “ black ” and “ white ” in the same case !
If you allowed conservative voices on campus , say that of Mona Charen , they would challenge your assumption that women are discriminated against in the workforce .
Just look around and see how people make choices .
My sister , with a head for business and real estate investment , dropped that and became a psychotherapist .
Why ?
Because she likes working with people more than making tons of money .
Gender , like culture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women tend to think somewhat differently than men .
Ask your colleagues in biology and neuroscience .
People make human choices , multiplied millions of times , that create the data you naively expect ( no , demand ) must balance out perfectly .
Otherwise heads will roll !
( We know what you mean by “ fairer decisions about who gets a job.
” We see how you make decisions when you hire new faculty ! )
You say you are proud of the “ diversity within our communities , ” while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a confessional faith community , as was the Chinese Cultural Revolution ) you “ have further work to do to become more deeply anti-racist.
” Then you warn of “ rhetoric redolent of McCarthyism and the Red Scare , deeply anti-intellectual episodes in our own history.
” How predictable .
I wish you would have cross-disciplined yourself into talking to my history professors .
I wish you ’ d spoken with some of the folks I met who had been locked up and tortured , or seen loved ones murdered , under Marxist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ scare.
” The notion that they could be any real danger seems unthinkable to you , even after the Gulag , the Killing Fields , and yes , the Cultural Revolution .
Put your own house in order .
Let ’ s see real diversity on campus : diversity of thought .
The University of California is not your private madrassa .
We the people pay your salary .
Show us you have the guts to hire a genuinely diverse teaching staff , before telling us how to solve our supposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confidence in your own ideas , as a trial lawyer does in standing up before a judge and an opposing lawyer , in the schools you run .
Law professors speaking “ with one voice !
” What could be scarier than that ?
A Mordor-like haze of smoke has settled upon the West Coast from Los Angeles to Seattle .
On campuses , too , we need a fresh wind off the ocean to stir up the oppressive atmosphere of one-sided ideology that you accept with such serene complacency and self-congratulations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the Russian and Chinese Languages and Marxism , ” an M.A .
in Chinese Religions , and a Ph.D. in Christian Thought and Chinese Tradition .
His most recent book is Jesus is No Myth : The Fingerprints of God on the Gospels .

Dear Professors,
Last week you wrote an open letter blasting the Trump Administration for canceling Critical Race Theory training sessions in the federal government. I found your letter revealing. What it shows is not merely why Trump made the right call, and why we should dig such propaganda out from public service root and branch. It also shows why Critical Race Theory is an enemy of American democracy, just as the administration asserted, for it undermines social harmony and sound reasoning. And your letter also shows why the American education system stands in need of radical reform.
“We Write With One Voice”
You say, “We write with one voice” to defend Critical Race Theory. As lawyers, shouldn’t such unity of opinion trouble you? You brag of alleged “diversity,” when nearly all professors in the humanities and social sciences at American universities are left-wing. Surveys show that Liberal Arts faculty are overwhelmingly registered Democrats rather than Republicans. The ratio ranges from 5 to 1 in chemistry to 43 to 1 in sociology. And the American faculty is becoming less diverse where it counts. Georgetown University law professor John Hasnas pointed out in the Wall Street Journal that in 20 years of faculty searches, he was repeatedly instructed to spare no toil or expense to hire female and minority professors.
In my experience, no search committee has ever been instructed to increase political or ideological diversity. On the contrary, I have been involved in searches in which the chairman of the selection committee stated that no libertarian candidates would be considered. Or the description of the position was changed when the best resumés appeared to be coming from applicants with right-of-center viewpoints. Or in which candidates were dismissed because of their association with conservative or libertarian institutions.
No wonder you speak with one voice! You’ve shut opposing voices out of your schools! And so a “conversation on race” at Berkeley becomes a bore, featuring only people who say the same thing in different ways. Your so-called “diversity” has become a giant puppet show. America’s legal system requires both sides of a case to be heard. The prosecutor and the defense make opposing arguments. The Law assumes that powers must be balanced, a concept that is fundamental to our free institutions. So why is there so little balance of power in American universities today?
Critical Race Theory on the Taxpayer’s Nickel
You complain that Trump accuses CRT trainers of teaching “two inaccurate and wildly oversimplified tenets. The first is that the United States is “an inherently racist or evil country.” The second is that white people are ‘inherently racist or evil.’” Thus, Trump supposedly reduces a “sophisticated, dynamic field, interdisciplinary and global in scope” to “simplistic absurdities.” Have you seen, though, Christopher Rufo’s description of brow-beating and overt racism federal employees have been subjected to? Why are you so confident that no abuses can possibly have occurred in these training programs? Did you attend those sessions?
You say Trump has decided to “ban federal employees from learning about (CRT) through trainings.” Why is that a problem? Federal workers can buy copies of White Fragility and meditate on the book in a cave over the weekend. Why should the people of the United States pay to train federal employees in Woke ideology? What we really object to, though, has less to do with federal employees learning about neo-Marxist beliefs, and much more to do with their arms being twisted to accept a philosophy we find both destructive and irrational.
Uncritical Critical Race Theory
You write, with proselytizing fervor:
CRT invites us to confront with unflinching honesty how race has operated in our history and our present, and to recognize the deep and ongoing operation of ‘structural racism,’ through which racial inequality is reproduced within our economic, political and educational systems even without individual racist intent.
I see little sign of “unflinching honesty,” sophistication, multi-disciplinary insight or global awareness in these words. In this short passage alone, you use the words “race,” “racial” and “racist” four times. But you never mention the real determining factor, culture. Inequalities, it seems, can only derive from personal or structural racism. That’s a foundational tenet of CRT and your letter, which I find narrow, silly and ignorant. (I detail my reasons for that in Letter to a “Racist” Nation.) The hallmark of CRT seems to be its refusal to learn and deal honestly with the nature of global culture. It ignores the insights of history, anthropology, comparative religion — even of nutritional studies!
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Consider, for instance, Malaysia, inhabited mainly by four ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese, Indians and aboriginals. Generally speaking, Chinese, who first domesticated the pig, still love to eat pork. Malays, being mostly Muslim, do not. That one cultural difference is sure to affect the lives of these two peoples one way or another. Pork may prove a healthy source of protein. Or poorly-cooked meat may transmit disease, or barbecues may make people fat. Pig farms may contribute to environmental pollution, or help Malaysia preserve its fisheries.
The point is, diverse cultures — our habits of life — naturally create diverse outcomes. Diet alone may “trigger” diabetes, heart disease, cancer or preternaturally long lives.
Culture Matters
“Unflinchingly honest” scholars such as you should recognize, in a non-judgmental way, how culture molds such differences. Every aspect of culture will inevitably make a difference in the lives of those living under that “sacred canopy.” This begins with religious beliefs, but includes much more: cuisine, holidays, sports, education, child-rearing, divorce, music and a “tight” or “loose” attitude towards authority,
Culturally-informed choices explain why, globally, relatively powerless minorities often make more money. (Chinese Malaysians also earn more than native Malays. The gap is even greater in Indonesia, where they have been a persecuted minority.) CRT misses this, and the oversight makes it a house built upon sand. Your failure to recognize the importance of culture or gender means you have signed onto this same lack of theoretical sophistication and global awareness that renders CRT akin to phrenology or voodoo.
Applying CRT to Law
You claim to experience the “intellectual value” of Critical Race Theory “every day,” through the “brilliance” of (invariably left-wing) scholars, whose work “has shaped legislation, court cases, programs and policies.”
But that’s exactly what we’re worried about! You seem to admit no possible downside to the cultural revolution you promote. In the name of anti-racism, you become racists again! You can’t even put “black” and “white” in the same case!
If employees learned about the theory of intersectionality, it might help them understand why Black women face a larger wage gap than either white women or Black men, and help motivate federal programs that try to address the disparities they face. When federal employees learn about the dangers of and the pervasiveness of implicit bias, it can spur improved processes and fairer decisions about who gets a job or receives a federal contract.
Gender Matters
If you allowed conservative voices on campus, say that of Mona Charen, they would challenge your assumption that women are discriminated against in the workforce. Just look around and see how people make choices. My sister, with a head for business and real estate investment, dropped that and became a psychotherapist. Why? Because she likes working with people more than making tons of money.
You’d sooner hire a pack of Marxist law professors than a single Ted Cruz.
Gender, like culture, matters. In the aggregate, women tend to think somewhat differently than men. Ask your colleagues in biology and neuroscience. People make human choices, multiplied millions of times, that create the data you naively expect (no, demand) must balance out perfectly. Otherwise heads will roll! (We know what you mean by “fairer decisions about who gets a job.” We see how you make decisions when you hire new faculty!)
Real Diversity, Please
You say you are proud of the “diversity within our communities,” while confessing (yours is a caricature of a confessional faith community, as was the Chinese Cultural Revolution) you “have further work to do to become more deeply anti-racist.” Then you warn of “rhetoric redolent of McCarthyism and the Red Scare, deeply anti-intellectual episodes in our own history.”
How predictable. I wish you would have cross-disciplined yourself into talking to my history professors. I wish you’d spoken with some of the folks I met who had been locked up and tortured, or seen loved ones murdered, under Marxist regimes.
You think communists were just a “scare.” The notion that they could be any real danger seems unthinkable to you, even after the Gulag, the Killing Fields, and yes, the Cultural Revolution.
Put Your House in Order
Put your own house in order. Let’s see real diversity on campus: diversity of thought. The University of California is not your private madrassa. We the people pay your salary. Show us you have the guts to hire a genuinely diverse teaching staff, before telling us how to solve our supposed narrowness.
It is time you demonstrated confidence in your own ideas, as a trial lawyer does in standing up before a judge and an opposing lawyer, in the schools you run. Law professors speaking “with one voice!” What could be scarier than that?
A Mordor-like haze of smoke has settled upon the West Coast from Los Angeles to Seattle. On campuses, too, we need a fresh wind off the ocean to stir up the oppressive atmosphere of one-sided ideology that you accept with such serene complacency and self-congratulations.
David Marshall holds a B.A. in “the Russian and Chinese Languages and Marxism,” an M.A. in Chinese Religions, and a Ph.D. in Christian Thought and Chinese Tradition. His most recent book is Jesus is No Myth: The Fingerprints of God on the Gospels.


thestream--2020-09-19--God and Mathematics —  Yes, There’s Evidence For God There, Too!

Why does mathematics work ?
It ’ s one of those fish-in-the-water questions .
We ’ re so surrounded by @ @ @ @ @ , we hardly pause to realize how surprising that would be — unless the universe @ @ @ @ @ , rational Mind .
Reasonable Faith is the ministry home of William Lane Craig .

Why does mathematics work? It’s one of those fish-in-the-water questions. We’re so surrounded by awareness that everything works mathematically, we hardly pause to realize how surprising that would be — unless the universe was created by an intelligent, rational Mind.
Reasonable Faith is the ministry home of William Lane Craig.


thestream--2020-09-19--4 Key Moments From Trump’s Speech on History, Critical Race Theory

President Donald Trump , in Constitution Day remarks , drew a direct connection between the riots and mayhem in the streets to what schools are teaching about America .
“ Our mission is to defend the legacy of America ’ s founding , the virtue of America ’ s heroes , and the nobility of the American character , ” the president said at the National Archives Museum Thursday for the White House Conference on American History .
“ We must clear away the twisted web of lies in our schools and classrooms , and teach our children the magnificent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarks , Trump announced actions to promote “ patriotic education , ” and unleashed an attack on several sacred cows of the left such as cancel culture , critical race theory , The New York Times ’ 1619 Project , and the looting and arson occurring across the country .
Delivering the speech on the 233rd anniversary of the Constitution , Trump praised the historical document as being “ the product of centuries of tradition , wisdom , and experience.
” “ No political document has done more to advance the human condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump said .
“ Yet , as we gather this afternoon , a radical movement is attempting to demolish this treasured and precious inheritance .
We can ’ t let that happen.
” Here ’ s four key moments from the speech .
The president announced two actions to promote more pro-American education in schools .
“ Our youth will be taught to love America with all of their heart and soul , ” Trump said .
“ We will save this cherished inheritance for our children , for their children and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced the National Endowment for the Humanities is awarding a grant to support a pro-American curriculum in schools .
He also announced that he will be signing an executive order establishing the 1776 Commission to promote patriotic education .
“ It will encourage our educators to teach our children about the miracle of American history and make plans to honor the 250th anniversary of our founding , ” the president said of the 1776 Commission .
This is an important point to draw attention to , said Lindsey Burke , director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foundation .
“ The president is right to shine a spotlight on the negative effects of critical theory , taught throughout colleges , particularly colleges of education , and which makes its way down through K-12 schools , ” Burke told The Daily Signal .
“ And the administration is right to point to the inaccuracies of the 1619 Project , which should continue to be noted .
More parents will now be aware of this content — which paints a negative picture of America — making its way into their children ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exceptional nation , and that ’ s a message that children should hear.
” The president added that a “ radical movement ” is attempting to demolish this treasured American history .
“ The left-wing mobs have torn down statues of our Founders , desecrated our memorials , and carried out a campaign of violence and anarchy , ” Trump said .
“ Far-left demonstrators have chanted the words , ‘ America was never great.
’ The left has launched a vicious and violent assault on law enforcement — the universal symbol of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump added that politicians , establishment media , and even large corporations have sided with those causing the mayhem .
“ Whether it is the mob on the street or the cancel culture in the boardroom , the goal is the same : To silence dissent , to scare you out of speaking the truth and to bully Americans into abandoning their values , their heritage and their very way of life , ” Trump said .
“ We are here today to declare that we will never submit to tyranny , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reclaim our history , and our country , for citizens of every race , color , religion , and creed.
” During his speech , Trump drew a correlation between the riots and education .
“ The left-wing rioting and mayhem are the direct result of decades of left-wing indoctrination in our schools , ” Trump said .
“ It has gone on far too long .
Our children are instructed from propaganda tracts , like those of Howard Zinn , that try to make students ashamed of their own history.
” Howard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has focused almost entirely on the negative aspects of American history .
The Times ’ 1619 Project contends the United States was founded on principle of advancing slavery .
The claims of the project have been challenged by historians on the right and left .
The president said the narratives pushed by the left resemble anti-American propaganda pushed by the country ’ s adversaries .
Trump talked about critical race theory as an example , which he called a Marxist doctrine that says even children are complicit in racism and society must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a theoretical framework that contends individuals are either oppressed or are oppressors based on their skin color .
“ Teaching this horrible doctrine to our children is a form of child abuse in the truest sense of those words , ” Trump said .
“ For many years now , the radicals have mistaken Americans ’ silence for weakness .
They are wrong.
” “ There is no more powerful force than a parent ’ s love for their children — and patriotic moms and dads are going to demand that their children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this country , ” Trump added .
“ American parents are not going to accept indoctrination in our schools , cancel culture at work , or the repression of traditional faith , culture and values in the public square.
” Trump noted that he banned the promotion of critical race theory in the federal government through employee training programs that focus on “ white privilege ” or that the United States is an inherently racist country .
“ Critical race theory , the 1619 Project , and the crusade against American history is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if not removed , will dissolve the civic bonds that tie us together , ” Trump said .
“ That is why I recently banned training in this prejudiced ideology from the federal government and banned it in the strongest matter possible.
” The president said such propaganda is a departure from the civil rights movement .
We embrace the vision of Martin Luther King , where children are not judged by the color of their skin , but by the content of their character .
The left is attempting to destroy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race in the service of political power .
By viewing every issue through the lens of race , they want to impose a new segregation , and we must not allow that to happen .
Fred Lucas is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “ The Right Side of History ” podcast .
Lucas is also the author of “ Tainted by Suspicion : The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections.
” Send an email to Fred .

President Donald Trump, in Constitution Day remarks, drew a direct connection between the riots and mayhem in the streets to what schools are teaching about America.
“Our mission is to defend the legacy of America’s founding, the virtue of America’s heroes, and the nobility of the American character,” the president said at the National Archives Museum Thursday for the White House Conference on American History. “We must clear away the twisted web of lies in our schools and classrooms, and teach our children the magnificent truth about our country.”
In his remarks, Trump announced actions to promote “patriotic education,” and unleashed an attack on several sacred cows of the left such as cancel culture, critical race theory, The New York Times’ 1619 Project, and the looting and arson occurring across the country.
Delivering the speech on the 233rd anniversary of the Constitution, Trump praised the historical document as being “the product of centuries of tradition, wisdom, and experience.”
“No political document has done more to advance the human condition or propel the engine of progress,” Trump said. “Yet, as we gather this afternoon, a radical movement is attempting to demolish this treasured and precious inheritance. We can’t let that happen.”
Here’s four key moments from the speech.
1. Policy Actions for ‘Patriotic Education’
The president announced two actions to promote more pro-American education in schools.
“Our youth will be taught to love America with all of their heart and soul,” Trump said. “We will save this cherished inheritance for our children, for their children and for every generation to come.”
Trump announced the National Endowment for the Humanities is awarding a grant to support a pro-American curriculum in schools. He also announced that he will be signing an executive order establishing the 1776 Commission to promote patriotic education.
“A radical movement is attempting to demolish this treasured and precious inheritance. We can’t let that happen.” — President Donald Trump
“It will encourage our educators to teach our children about the miracle of American history and make plans to honor the 250th anniversary of our founding,” the president said of the 1776 Commission.
This is an important point to draw attention to, said Lindsey Burke, director of the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation.
“The president is right to shine a spotlight on the negative effects of critical theory, taught throughout colleges, particularly colleges of education, and which makes its way down through K-12 schools,” Burke told The Daily Signal. “And the administration is right to point to the inaccuracies of the 1619 Project, which should continue to be noted. More parents will now be aware of this content — which paints a negative picture of America — making its way into their children’s schools. America is a truly exceptional nation, and that’s a message that children should hear.”
2. Cancel Culture and the ‘Left-Wing Mobs’
The president added that a “radical movement” is attempting to demolish this treasured American history.
“The left-wing mobs have torn down statues of our Founders, desecrated our memorials, and carried out a campaign of violence and anarchy,” Trump said. “Far-left demonstrators have chanted the words, ‘America was never great.’ The left has launched a vicious and violent assault on law enforcement — the universal symbol of the rule of law in America.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Trump added that politicians, establishment media, and even large corporations have sided with those causing the mayhem.
“Whether it is the mob on the street or the cancel culture in the boardroom, the goal is the same: To silence dissent, to scare you out of speaking the truth and to bully Americans into abandoning their values, their heritage and their very way of life,” Trump said.
“We are here today to declare that we will never submit to tyranny,” the president added. “We will reclaim our history, and our country, for citizens of every race, color, religion, and creed.”
3. 1619 Project, Howard Zinn, and ‘Warped, Distorted’ History
During his speech, Trump drew a correlation between the riots and education.
“The left-wing rioting and mayhem are the direct result of decades of left-wing indoctrination in our schools,” Trump said. “It has gone on far too long. Our children are instructed from propaganda tracts, like those of Howard Zinn, that try to make students ashamed of their own history.”
Howard Zinn is a liberal historian whose work has focused almost entirely on the negative aspects of American history.
Trump continued:
The left has warped, distorted the American story with deception, falsehoods, and lies. There is no better example than The New York Times’ totally discredited 1619 Project. … America’s founding set in motion the unstoppable chain of events that abolished slavery, secured civil rights, defeated communism and fascism, and built the most fair, equal, and prosperous nation in human history.
The Times’ 1619 Project contends the United States was founded on principle of advancing slavery. The claims of the project have been challenged by historians on the right and left.
The president said the narratives pushed by the left resemble anti-American propaganda pushed by the country’s adversaries.
4. Teaching Critical Race Theory Is ‘Child Abuse’
Trump talked about critical race theory as an example, which he called a Marxist doctrine that says even children are complicit in racism and society must be radically transformed.
Critical race theory is a theoretical framework that contends individuals are either oppressed or are oppressors based on their skin color.
“Teaching this horrible doctrine to our children is a form of child abuse in the truest sense of those words,” Trump said. “For many years now, the radicals have mistaken Americans’ silence for weakness. They are wrong.”
“There is no more powerful force than a parent’s love for their children — and patriotic moms and dads are going to demand that their children are no longer fed hateful lies about this country,” Trump added. “American parents are not going to accept indoctrination in our schools, cancel culture at work, or the repression of traditional faith, culture and values in the public square.”
Trump noted that he banned the promotion of critical race theory in the federal government through employee training programs that focus on “white privilege” or that the United States is an inherently racist country.
“Critical race theory, the 1619 Project, and the crusade against American history is toxic propaganda — an ideological poison that, if not removed, will dissolve the civic bonds that tie us together,” Trump said. “That is why I recently banned training in this prejudiced ideology from the federal government and banned it in the strongest matter possible.”
The president said such propaganda is a departure from the civil rights movement.
We embrace the vision of Martin Luther King, where children are not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. The left is attempting to destroy that beautiful vision and divide Americans by race in the service of political power. By viewing every issue through the lens of race, they want to impose a new segregation, and we must not allow that to happen.
Fred Lucas is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “The Right Side of History” podcast. Lucas is also the author of “Tainted by Suspicion: The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections.” Send an email to Fred.


thestream--2020-09-21--Is There a Non-Marxist Biblical Alternative to ‘Black Lives Matter?’

Our cities are on fire .
Our citizens are under attack .
Houses of worship are being raided .
And the livelihoods of inner-city Blacks are being destroyed .
Even statues of escaped slave Frederick Douglass and abolitionist Hans Christian Heg are torn down .
At the root of this disruption is Black Lives Matters .
Cities , corporations and even churches and Christians have jumped on the BLM bandwagon .
With the “ Silence is Violence ” campaign , many have felt compelled to give BLM lip service .
They do it under the mistaken impression that if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are racists .
In fact , the very act of claiming you are not a racist is now a sign of “ White Fragility.
” It ’ s proof that you are indeed a racist .
Worse , now churches are being attacked by groups like “ The Coalition for Racial Justice ” demanding the churches bring in leftist , progressive speakers to teach Critical Theory from the pulpit .
Yet , any Christian reading BLM ’ s principles and listening to BLM ’ s founders should realize that BLM ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is against God ’ s standards of sexuality , of family , of personal property , of fatherhood .
These values in themselves could reverse much of the poverty , crime and high murder rates in the inner city .
BLM is against God ’ s standard of equality .
They strive to put a wedge between the different ethnicities , trying to pit one group of people against another .
They seek to elevate African Americans over others .
This can only result in resentment and the recruiting of weaker Americans into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reaction to BLM .
They blame people for sins of the past , based only on skin color .
This will set “ race ” relationships back decades .
We can expect it surely tocreate counter-movements .
BLM is against God , as they proclaim their atheistic Marxist roots and declare their witchcraft practices .
BLM ignores the two major causes of death in the Black communities : gang violence and abortion .
And finally , BLM ’ s call for “ reproductive justice ” is against God ’ s standard for life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been killed in the womb .
It is the greatest genocide of African Americans .
That they would call it any sort of justice should concern all Christians , or indeed any person of conscience , regardless of color .
Is There Any Choice ?
It seems there is no choice but to accept BLM ’ s agenda .
Corporations fearing attack or boycotting are also compelled to jump on board , even though BLM founders ’ Marxist stance means donating to BLM is tantamount to funding an attack on corporations ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market in Marxism .
Appeasement only means the crocodile eats you last .
For years , seemingly , has been little choice but to go along with BLM .
Finally , though , the Frederick Douglass Foundation has teamed up with other leaders to create a biblical alternative .
It ’ s called Every Black Life Matters .
EBLM is for black lives .
But it ’ s not in favor of Marxism , of breaking up the family , or of atheism .
Most of all , EBLM is against abortion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities , corporations , churches and Christians on the real reason why African American communities are economically behind , then deliver solutions .
We will work with legislators to : • Change welfare , to stop it from rewarding the separation of fathers from their children .
• Push for school choice to save inner city kids from failing schools .
• Work with corporations , rather than sending money to BLM , to send business leaders to train young black men to become entrepreneurs .
• Work with churches to start focusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and to create ministries to disciple young Black men and women .
• Train cities on how to instruct their police to handle the disparate tendencies to see all young black men as dangerous as well as train young Black men to engage with police safely while retaining their dignity and earning respect ( vs demanding it ) • Hold police , city , corporation and church training on the dangers of Critical Race Theory and the bankruptcy of “ White Fragility , ” while teaching citizens how to fight for legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than destroy it .
• Keep the plight of our inner-city youth and the grievous loss of life squarely on the shoulders of those who have created it , mayors and governors who push socialistic policies to keep their citizenry dependent .
• Strive to stop the genocide of black babies in the womb .
But Why Only Black Lives ?
All lives matter , but the beauty of co-opting part of BLM ’ s phrase , is that as a non-racist , you can go one step further .
Now rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” over which they will cry foul , you can say “ EVERY Black Life matters.
” We ’ ve just upped the ante .
You can now say , we care about the Black lives in the womb as well as the Black lives in the inner city as well as the Black lives who aren ’ t getting an education as well as the Black lives who need a father as well as the Black lives of the store owner ( whose business was burned down ) as well as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Every Black Life Matters to me .
Why should it not matter to you ?
We Christians were the first to address the injustice of slavery and racism .
It ’ s time now for us to address the injustice of Marxist principles , lack of school choice , the breakup of the family and Black genocide that will destroy Black families completely .
We must act quickly .
Visit our website .
Spread the word .
Join us .
Neil Mammen is an engineer during the day and teaches the historic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at night .
His ministry is called No Blind Faith .
He is an ordained evangelical pastor , and the author of multiple books including Jesus Is Involved In Politics !
Why Aren ’ t You ?
Why Isn ’ t Your Church ?
and Who is Agent X ?
on how to prove God exists without using the Bible .

Our cities are on fire. Our citizens are under attack. Houses of worship are being raided. And the livelihoods of inner-city Blacks are being destroyed. Even statues of escaped slave Frederick Douglass and abolitionist Hans Christian Heg are torn down. At the root of this disruption is Black Lives Matter.
BLM and Christians
Cities, corporations and even churches and Christians have jumped on the BLM bandwagon. With the “Silence is Violence” campaign, many have felt compelled to give BLM lip service. They do it under the mistaken impression that if they don’t, it signals that they are racists. In fact, the very act of claiming you are not a racist is now a sign of “White Fragility.” It’s proof that you are indeed a racist. Worse, now churches are being attacked by groups like “The Coalition for Racial Justice” demanding the churches bring in leftist, progressive speakers to teach Critical Theory from the pulpit.
Yet, any Christian reading BLM’s principles and listening to BLM’s founders should realize that BLM’s goals and purposes are ungodly.
BLM’s Real Program
BLM is against God’s standards of sexuality, of family, of personal property, of fatherhood. These values in themselves could reverse much of the poverty, crime and high murder rates in the inner city.
BLM is against God’s standard of equality. They strive to put a wedge between the different ethnicities, trying to pit one group of people against another. They seek to elevate African Americans over others. This can only result in resentment and the recruiting of weaker Americans into white extremist groups as a gut level reaction to BLM. They blame people for sins of the past, based only on skin color. This will set “race” relationships back decades. We can expect it surely tocreate counter-movements.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
BLM is against God, as they proclaim their atheistic Marxist roots and declare their witchcraft practices.
BLM ignores the two major causes of death in the Black communities: gang violence and abortion.
And finally, BLM’s call for “reproductive justice” is against God’s standard for life. Thirty-six percent of all African Americans have been killed in the womb. It is the greatest genocide of African Americans. That they would call it any sort of justice should concern all Christians, or indeed any person of conscience, regardless of color.
Is There Any Choice?
It seems there is no choice but to accept BLM’s agenda. Corporations fearing attack or boycotting are also compelled to jump on board, even though BLM founders’ Marxist stance means donating to BLM is tantamount to funding an attack on corporations’ very existence. There is no free market in Marxism. Appeasement only means the crocodile eats you last.
For years, seemingly, has been little choice but to go along with BLM. Finally, though, the Frederick Douglass Foundation has teamed up with other leaders to create a biblical alternative. It’s called Every Black Life Matters. EBLM is for black lives. But it’s not in favor of Marxism, of breaking up the family, or of atheism. Most of all, EBLM is against abortion.
EBLM’s Program
EBLM’s goal is to educate cities, corporations, churches and Christians on the real reason why African American communities are economically behind, then deliver solutions.
We will work with legislators to:
Change welfare, to stop it from rewarding the separation of fathers from their children. Push for school choice to save inner city kids from failing schools. Work with corporations, rather than sending money to BLM, to send business leaders to train young black men to become entrepreneurs. Work with churches to start focusing on character training and vocational skill classes, and to create ministries to disciple young Black men and women. Train cities on how to instruct their police to handle the disparate tendencies to see all young black men as dangerous as well as train young Black men to engage with police safely while retaining their dignity and earning respect (versus demanding it). Hold police, city, corporation and church training on the dangers of Critical Race Theory and the bankruptcy of “White Fragility,” while teaching citizens how to fight for legislation that builds up the African American family rather than destroy it. Keep the plight of our inner-city youth and the grievous loss of life squarely on the shoulders of those who have created it, mayors and governors who push socialistic policies to keep their citizenry dependent. Strive to stop the genocide of black babies in the womb.
But Why Only Black Lives?
All lives matter, but the beauty of co-opting part of BLM’s phrase, is that as a non-racist, you can go one step further. Now rather than saying “All Lives Matter,” over which they will cry foul, you can say “EVERY Black Life matters.” We’ve just upped the ante.
You can now say, we care about the Black lives in the womb as well as the Black lives in the inner city as well as the Black lives who aren’t getting an education as well as the Black lives who need a father as well as the Black lives of the store owner (whose business was burned down) as well as the Black lives of the police officers.
Every Black Life Matters to me. Why should it not matter to you?
We Christians were the first to address the injustice of slavery and racism. It’s time now for us to address the injustice of Marxist principles, lack of school choice, the breakup of the family and Black genocide that will destroy Black families completely. We must act quickly.
Visit our website. Spread the word. Join us.
Neil Mammen is an engineer during the day and teaches the historic and scientific defense of the truth of Christianity at night. His ministry is called No Blind Faith. He is an ordained evangelical pastor, and the author of multiple books including Jesus Is Involved In Politics! Why Aren’t You? Why Isn’t Your Church? and Who is Agent X? on how to prove God exists without using the Bible.


thestream--2020-09-21--7 Things to Know About Upcoming Supreme Court Process, Picks

With the unexpected death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Friday , Republicans face a tight timeline to get a new Supreme Court justice in place before the election .
Even as the nation mourns the death of Ginsburg , who served on the court for twenty-seven years , lawmakers have begun to talk about next steps .
Here ’ s what you need to know .
1 .
Trump Poised to Name Nominee This Week Talking to reporters Saturday , President Donald Trump indicated he would swiftly name a nominee .
“ I think we ’ re going to start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll have a nominee very soon , ” Trump said .
Asked in a follow-up question if the decision would be made next week , Trump said , “ I think the choice will be next week , yes .
I do .
I do.
” The president also tweeted about moving forward “ without delay.
” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is clear that he intends for the Senate to give Trump ’ s nominee a vote , quickly .
In 2016 , McConnell did not allow a vote for then-President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Merrick Garland .
In a statement issued Friday night , McConnell explained why he does not see 2020 as analogous to 2016 : In the last midterm election before Justice [ Antonin ] Scalia ’ s death in 2016 , Americans elected a Republican Senate majority because we pledged to check and balance the last days of a lame-duck president ’ s second term .
We kept our promise .
Since the 1880s , no Senate has confirmed an opposite-party president ’ s Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 and expanded it in 2018 because we pledged to work with President Trump and support his agenda , particularly his outstanding appointments to the federal judiciary .
Once again , we will keep our promise .
President Trump ’ s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate .
Former President Bill Clinton , who nominated Ginsburg to the court , criticized McConnell .
“ He said we had to trust the American people and give the voters a voice in the last Supreme Court selection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Clinton told ABC ’ s This Week .
“ Today it seems that Sen. McConnell has lost his faith in the judgment of the American people and wants to hurry up and put somebody on the court , ” Clinton added .
Obama also referenced Garland in a statement over the weekend that urged the Senate to delay voting on a new justice : Speaking at a rally in Fayetteville , North Carolina , Trump said he planned to nominate a woman .
“ It will be a woman , a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said Saturday , adding , “ We haven ’ t chosen yet , but we have numerous women on the list.
” Two of the most-talked about women from Trump ’ s Supreme Court picks lists are Amy Coney Barrett and Barbara Lagoa .
Barrett currently serves as a judge on the 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals and Lagoa serves on the 11th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals .
Speaking to reporters Saturday , Trump referred to Barrett as “ highly respected ” and said of Lagoa , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve heard incredible things about her.
” During her 2017 confirmation hearing for the 7th Circuit Court , Barrett , a Catholic , was asked about her religious beliefs .
Sen. Dianne Feinstein , D-Calif. , told Barrett , “ The dogma lives loudly within you , and that ’ s of concern.
” Lagoa “ was the first Hispanic woman to serve on the Florida Supreme Court , ” according to Politico , which also reported that Lagoa “ worked as a pro bono lawyer for Elian Gonzalez ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boy whose mother died trying to escape from Cuba , and who , after a long legal fight , was ultimately forced to leave Florida and return to Cuba to live with his father .
Democrat lawmakers are now making the case that if a Trump nominee is confirmed , they will add more justices to the Supreme Court , effectively changing the power of balance on the court .
“ If he holds a vote in 2020 , we pack the court in 2021 , ” Rep. Joe Kennedy III , D-Mass.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that simple.
” “ If Sen. McConnell and @ SenateGOP were to force through a nominee during the lame-duck session — before a new Senate and president can take office — then the incoming Senate should immediately move to expand the Supreme Court , ” House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. , tweeted .
“ Filling the SCOTUS vacancy during a lame-duck session , after the American people have voted for new leadership , is undemocratic and a clear violation of the public trust in elected officials .
Congress would have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right place to start , ” Nadler added .
Last year , Ginsburg discussed the number of justices in a NPR interview , saying , “ Nine seems to be a good number .
It ’ s been that way for a long time , ” and adding , “ I think it was a bad idea when President Franklin Roosevelt tried to pack the court.
” 5 .
2 GOP Senators Against Confirming a Nominee Before the Election Sens .
Lisa Murkowski , R-Alaska , and Susan Collins , R-Maine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirm any Supreme Court nominee prior to the election .
In a statement to Washington Post ’ s Seung Min Kim , Murkowski said : Collins said in a statement , “ In order for the American people to have in their elected officials , we must act fairly and consistently — no matter which political party is in power.
” She added : There are 53 Republican senators , and for a nominee to be confirmed , assuming Vice President Mike Pence acts as the tie-breaker , there must be 50 votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ted Cruz , R-Texas , urged a swift confirmation process , noting the dangers of an eight-justice Supreme Court should the nation face an election similar to the one in 2000 .
“ As we approach what is likely to be a contested election that hangs in the balance of the Supreme Court , our nation is at risk of a constitutional crisis without nine justices on the bench , ” Cruz wrote in an op-ed for Fox News , adding : 7 .
Pelosi Won ’ t Rule Out Impeaching Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News ’ George Stephanopoulos suggested that some are saying Democrats could impeach Trump or Attorney General William Barr to slow down the confirmation process , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to say she wouldn ’ t use that method .
“ We have our options .
We have arrows in our quiver that I ’ m not about to discuss right now , ” Pelosi said Sunday .
“ Our main goal would be to protect the integrity of the election as we protect the people from the coronavirus , ” she added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Signal and co-host of The Daily Signal Podcast .
Send an email to Katrina .

With the unexpected death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Friday, Republicans face a tight timeline to get a new Supreme Court justice in place before the election.
Even as the nation mourns the death of Ginsburg, who served on the court for twenty-seven years, lawmakers have begun to talk about next steps. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Trump Poised to Name Nominee This Week
Talking to reporters Saturday, President Donald Trump indicated he would swiftly name a nominee. “I think we’re going to start the process extremely soon, and we’ll have a nominee very soon,” Trump said.
Asked in a follow-up question if the decision would be made next week, Trump said, “I think the choice will be next week, yes. I do. I do.”
(Editor’s Note: President Trump said Monday afternoon he’s looking to name his nominee on Saturday, out of respect for Ginsburg.)
The president also tweeted about moving forward “without delay.”
.@GOP We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us, the most important of which has long been considered to be the selection of United States Supreme Court Justices. We have this obligation, without delay! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 19, 2020
2. McConnell Pledges Senate Vote
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is clear that he intends for the Senate to give Trump’s nominee a vote, quickly.
In 2016, McConnell did not allow a vote for then-President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland. In a statement issued Friday night, McConnell explained why he does not see 2020 as analogous to 2016:
In the last midterm election before Justice [Antonin] Scalia’s death in 2016, Americans elected a Republican Senate majority because we pledged to check and balance the last days of a lame-duck president’s second term. We kept our promise. Since the 1880s, no Senate has confirmed an opposite-party president’s Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year. By contrast, Americans reelected our majority in 2016 and expanded it in 2018 because we pledged to work with President Trump and support his agenda, particularly his outstanding appointments to the federal judiciary. Once again, we will keep our promise. President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.
Former President Bill Clinton, who nominated Ginsburg to the court, criticized McConnell.
“He said we had to trust the American people and give the voters a voice in the last Supreme Court selection when President Obama nominated Merrick Garland,” Clinton told ABC’s This Week.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“Today it seems that Sen. McConnell has lost his faith in the judgment of the American people and wants to hurry up and put somebody on the court,” Clinton added.
Obama also referenced Garland in a statement over the weekend that urged the Senate to delay voting on a new justice:
Four and a half years ago, when Republicans refused to hold a hearing or an up-or-down vote on Merrick Garland, they invented the principle that the Senate shouldn’t fill an open seat on the Supreme Court before a new president was sworn in. A basic principle of the law — and of everyday fairness — is that we apply rules with consistency, and not based on what’s convenient or advantageous in the moment. … As votes are already being cast in this election, Republican senators are now called to apply that standard.
3. Nominee Expected to Be a Woman
Speaking at a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Trump said he planned to nominate a woman.
“It will be a woman, a very talented, very brilliant woman,” Trump said Saturday, adding, “We haven’t chosen yet, but we have numerous women on the list.”
Two of the most-talked about women from Trump’s Supreme Court picks lists are Amy Coney Barrett and Barbara Lagoa. Barrett currently serves as a judge on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and Lagoa serves on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Speaking to reporters Saturday, Trump referred to Barrett as “highly respected” and said of Lagoa, “She’s an extraordinary person. I’ve heard incredible things about her.”
During her 2017 confirmation hearing for the 7th Circuit Court, Barrett, a Catholic, was asked about her religious beliefs. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., told Barrett, “The dogma lives loudly within you, and that’s of concern.”
>>> Listen to Amy Coney Barrett’s “SCOTUS 101” interview:
Lagoa “was the first Hispanic woman to serve on the Florida Supreme Court,” according to Politico, which also reported that Lagoa “worked as a pro bono lawyer for Elian Gonzalez’s family.”
Elian Gonzalez was the Cuban boy whose mother died trying to escape from Cuba, and who, after a long legal fight, was ultimately forced to leave Florida and return to Cuba to live with his father.
4. Liberals Threaten to Increase Number of Supreme Court Justices
Democrat lawmakers are now making the case that if a Trump nominee is confirmed, they will add more justices to the Supreme Court, effectively changing the power of balance on the court.
“If he holds a vote in 2020, we pack the court in 2021,” Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass., tweeted. “It’s that simple.”
If he holds a vote in 2020, we pack the court in 2021. It’s that simple. — Rep. Joe Kennedy III (@RepJoeKennedy) September 19, 2020
“If Sen. McConnell and @SenateGOP were to force through a nominee during the lame-duck session — before a new Senate and president can take office — then the incoming Senate should immediately move to expand the Supreme Court,” House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., tweeted.
“Filling the SCOTUS vacancy during a lame-duck session, after the American people have voted for new leadership, is undemocratic and a clear violation of the public trust in elected officials. Congress would have to act and expanding the court would be the right place to start,” Nadler added.
Filling the SCOTUS vacancy during a lame duck session, after the American people have voted for new leadership, is undemocratic and a clear violation of the public trust in elected officials. Congress would have to act and expanding the court would be the right place to start. — Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) September 19, 2020
Last year, Ginsburg discussed the number of justices in a NPR interview, saying, “Nine seems to be a good number. It’s been that way for a long time,” and adding, “I think it was a bad idea when President Franklin Roosevelt tried to pack the court.”
5. 2 GOP Senators Against Confirming a Nominee Before the Election
Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, have indicated they will not vote to confirm any Supreme Court nominee prior to the election.
In a statement to Washington Post’s Seung Min Kim, Murkowski said:
For weeks, I have stated that I would not support taking up a potential Supreme Court vacancy this close to the election. Sadly, what was then a hypothetical is now our reality, but my position has not changed. I did not support taking up a nomination eight months before the 2016 election to fill the vacancy created by the passing of Justice [Antonin] Scalia. We are now even closer to the 2020 election — less than two months out — and I believe the same standard must apply.
Collins said in a statement, “In order for the American people to have in their elected officials, we must act fairly and consistently — no matter which political party is in power.” She added:
Given the proximity of the presidential election, however, I do not believe that the Senate should vote on the nominee prior to the election. In fairness to the American people, who will either be re-electing the president or selecting a new one, the decision on a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court should be made by the president who is elected in Nov. 3.
There are 53 Republican senators, and for a nominee to be confirmed, assuming Vice President Mike Pence acts as the tie-breaker, there must be 50 votes in support of the nominee.
6. Cruz Calls for Quick Confirmation
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, urged a swift confirmation process, noting the dangers of an eight-justice Supreme Court should the nation face an election similar to the one in 2000.
“As we approach what is likely to be a contested election that hangs in the balance of the Supreme Court, our nation is at risk of a constitutional crisis without nine justices on the bench,” Cruz wrote in an op-ed for Fox News, adding:
Twenty years ago, I was part of the legal team that litigated Bush v. Gore and went to the Supreme Court. For thirty-six days, the country did not know who the president was going to be, and if we had had a four-four court it could have dragged on for weeks and months. In the midst of deadly pandemic, economic devastation, and violent riots erupting across the country, that is the last thing the American people need.
7. Pelosi Won’t Rule Out Impeaching Trump, Barr to Slow Down Confirmation
After ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos suggested that some are saying Democrats could impeach Trump or Attorney General William Barr to slow down the confirmation process, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to say she wouldn’t use that method.
“We have our options. We have arrows in our quiver that I’m not about to discuss right now,” Pelosi said Sunday.
“Our main goal would be to protect the integrity of the election as we protect the people from the coronavirus,” she added.
“We have our options. We have arrows in our quiver that I’m not about to discuss right now,” Speaker Pelosi tells @GStephanopoulos when pressed on what Democrats would do if Pres. Trump and Republicans push a SCOTUS nomination ahead of the Nov. 3 election. https://t.co/JhU93KY3iQ pic.twitter.com/HOmI8AxREN — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) September 20, 2020
Katrina Trinko is editor-in-chief of The Daily Signal and co-host of The Daily Signal Podcast. Send an email to Katrina.


thestream--2020-09-21--Flipping the Courts and Turning the Hearts

There is no question that our court system plays an incredibly important role in our society today , affecting our everyday lives in countless ways .
And the vast majority of important cases are not decided at the Supreme Court level .
They are decided in federal courts and lower courts almost every day of the week .
Yet flipping the courts is not even half of the battle we face .
The greater and far more important battle is changing people ’ s hearts .
Failing there , we fail everywhere .
Succeeding there , we succeed everywhere .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ important .
Appointing God-fearing , justice-loving judges is a great blessing to a nation .
That ’ s why , when the Lord rebuked His sinning people in Isaiah ’ s day , He called them to judge righteously : “ Learn to do good !
Seek justice !
Reprove the oppressor !
Adjudicate for the orphan !
Plead the case of the widow !
” ( Isaiah 1:17 , my translation ) .
And that ’ s why , when He spoke through Isaiah about the future restoration of Jerusalem , He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judges as at the first and your counselors as in the beginning .
And you will be called , ‘ City of Righteousness , Faithful City ’ ” ( Isaiah 1:26 , my translation ) .
We Need Justice-Loving Justices and Our Nation ’ s Heart Turned Towards God But changed laws , imposed from the top down on a worldly and sinful people , will only create more resentment and rebellion — unless their hearts are changed as well .
That ’ s why nations like Iran are seeing such a departure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ younger generation rejecting the faith of their fathers .
They resent the religious laws that were imposed on them by a heavy-handed state , and as a result , Iran will become less Islamic , not more Islamic .
The same thing could easily happen in America , even though we have the true Good News and Muslims do not .
Our victories in the courts and our pushing back against abortion and radical queer activism will only create more hostility towards God , the Bible , and us — unless , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed as well .
Or do you think that tens of million of women who believe abortion is a fundamental right will simply capitulate if Roe v. Wade is overturned and states side with life ?
Or that trans activists will say , “ OK .
You win ” ?
Or that same-sex “ marriage ” will suddenly disappear ?
The courts can uphold good laws and rule against bad laws .
The courts can side for justice and restrain injustice .
The Role of Government to Restrain Evil and of God to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instruct , since what is legal is normally associated with what is acceptable or good .
As my friend Frank Turek often points out , “ The government has only three options in addressing human behavior .
It can prohibit a behavior , it can permit a behavior or it can promote a behavior — the three P ’ s. ” Paul himself writes in Romans that the role of government is to restrain evil and protect good : “ For rulers hold no terror for those who do right , but for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to be free from fear of the one in authority ?
Then do what is right and you will be commended ” ( Romans 13:3 ) .
But unless there is a grassroots movement focused on changing people ’ s hearts , by the next generation ( or even more quickly ) , rebellion and lawlessness will only increase .
But if hearts are changed through an encounter with the living God .
If Jesus becomes precious in the eyes of tens of millions of Americans .
If they see that God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life .
If they recognize their own sin and corruption .
If they learn the wisdom of His Word — then they will embrace life and family as He intended .
Then they will stand for justice and righteousness .
Then they will be moved by compassion and kindness .
Then we will see a nation changed .
We Must Partner With God in Changing the Heart of Our Nation Of course , we will never see a fully “ Christian ” nation until Jesus returns .
But just as America has drifted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent decades , there ’ s no reason we can ’ t be drawn closer and closer to Him in the years ahead .
( If you disagree with me , please provide me with the chapter and verse that backs your position . )
And just as many Americans are becoming more conservative as they see their cities and schools taken over by radical leftists , many Americans are experiencing a spiritual awakening as they see the hopelessness and chaos of our times .
That ’ s why , during this season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing more and more reports of spiritual hunger , of revival and outpouring , and of genuine conversion .
So , while we continue to work to appoint the right judges to our courts , we must work even harder in prayer and outreach and acts of kindness to change the heart of a nation .
All things are possible with God .
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads : Will We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

There is no question that our court system plays an incredibly important role in our society today, affecting our everyday lives in countless ways. And the vast majority of important cases are not decided at the Supreme Court level. They are decided in federal courts and lower courts almost every day of the week. Yet flipping the courts is not even half of the battle we face. The greater and far more important battle is changing people’s hearts. Failing there, we fail everywhere. Succeeding there, we succeed everywhere.
Certainly, flipping the courts is very important. Appointing God-fearing, justice-loving judges is a great blessing to a nation.
That’s why, when the Lord rebuked His sinning people in Isaiah’s day, He called them to judge righteously: “Learn to do good! Seek justice! Reprove the oppressor! Adjudicate for the orphan! Plead the case of the widow!” (Isaiah 1:17, my translation).
And that’s why, when He spoke through Isaiah about the future restoration of Jerusalem, He said, “I will restore your judges as at the first and your counselors as in the beginning. And you will be called, ‘City of Righteousness, Faithful City’” (Isaiah 1:26, my translation).
We Need Justice-Loving Justices and Our Nation’s Heart Turned Towards God
But changed laws, imposed from the top down on a worldly and sinful people, will only create more resentment and rebellion — unless their hearts are changed as well. That’s why nations like Iran are seeing such a departure from the Islamic faith, with the younger generation rejecting the faith of their fathers. They resent the religious laws that were imposed on them by a heavy-handed state, and as a result, Iran will become less Islamic, not more Islamic.
The same thing could easily happen in America, even though we have the true Good News and Muslims do not. Our victories in the courts and our pushing back against abortion and radical queer activism will only create more hostility towards God, the Bible, and us — unless, I repeat, people’s hearts are changed as well.
While we continue to work to appoint the right judges to our courts, we must work even harder in prayer and outreach and acts of kindness to change the heart of a nation.
Or do you think that tens of million of women who believe abortion is a fundamental right will simply capitulate if Roe v. Wade is overturned and states side with life? Or that trans activists will say, “OK. You win”? Or that same-sex “marriage” will suddenly disappear?
The courts can uphold good laws and rule against bad laws.
The courts can side for justice and restrain injustice.
The Role of Government to Restrain Evil and of God to Transform Hearts
The courts can teach and instruct, since what is legal is normally associated with what is acceptable or good. As my friend Frank Turek often points out, “The government has only three options in addressing human behavior. It can prohibit a behavior, it can permit a behavior or it can promote a behavior — the three P’s.”
Paul himself writes in Romans that the role of government is to restrain evil and protect good: “For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended” (Romans 13:3).
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
But unless there is a grassroots movement focused on changing people’s hearts, by the next generation (or even more quickly), rebellion and lawlessness will only increase.
But if hearts are changed through an encounter with the living God. If Jesus becomes precious in the eyes of tens of millions of Americans. If they see that God’s ways are the ways of life. If they recognize their own sin and corruption. If they learn the wisdom of His Word — then they will embrace life and family as He intended. Then they will stand for justice and righteousness. Then they will be moved by compassion and kindness. Then we will see a nation changed.
We Must Partner With God in Changing the Heart of Our Nation
Of course, we will never see a fully “Christian” nation until Jesus returns. But just as America has drifted further and further away from God in recent decades, there’s no reason we can’t be drawn closer and closer to Him in the years ahead. (If you disagree with me, please provide me with the chapter and verse that backs your position.)
And just as many Americans are becoming more conservative as they see their cities and schools taken over by radical leftists, many Americans are experiencing a spiritual awakening as they see the hopelessness and chaos of our times.
That’s why, during this season of crisis and upheaval, we are hearing more and more reports of spiritual hunger, of revival and outpouring, and of genuine conversion.
So, while we continue to work to appoint the right judges to our courts, we must work even harder in prayer and outreach and acts of kindness to change the heart of a nation.
All things are possible with God.
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test? Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.