thestream--2020-10-30--Marxist Thugs Threaten Campaign for Working Families Organization and Staff

Editor ’ s note : The following is an email update sent to friends and partners of Campaign for Working Families .
It is reprinted here by permission of the author .
I have very disturbing news to pass on to you .
We just got a very unsettling phone call .
A coalition of the worst far-left , neo-Marxist groups in Washington , called Shutdown DC , is promising attacks on conservative organizations and their leaders in the Washington , D.C. , area .
Just so there is no confusion , they literally provided leftist stormtroopers with a convenient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people they want taken down .
I wanted to let you know right away that Campaign for Working Families is one of the organizations that has been targeted .
These radicals battled police in the streets on Tuesday of this week .
Most of the local media completely ignored what happened .
The bottom line was that 15 officers were seriously injured and one may be permanently blinded .
These are not clowns we ’ re dealing with .
They are trained left-wing revolutionaries .
We ’ ve seen them in the streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and no doubt coming soon to a community near you .
I am reviewing what security measures we can take to protect our office and staff .
( They are also putting out the home addresses of conservative leaders . )
The most important thing we need you to do over the next few days when you are praying for our country , the election and our future is to pray specifically for Campaign for Working Families , American Values and our dedicated staff .
I was already , God willing , 99 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battle , win or lose , after Tuesday .
But after being threatened by these Marxist snakes slithering out from underneath their rocks , I ’ m 150 % certain that with your help we will stay on the front lines come what may !
God bless you , and thank you for your partnership with us .
Here we are on the Friday before Election Day .
I have no idea what is going to happen .
Most of us don ’ t believe the polls , so we ’ re looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race is leaning one way or the other .
With that in mind : • Democrat strategist James Carville appears to be in a meltdown after looking at the early voting in Florida .
Inexplicably , the Democrat vote in Miami has not turned out as expected .
• Democrats in Nevada are suddenly in panic mode because the early vote in rural counties ( Trump country ) is huge .
• Muslim socialist Keith Ellison , the attorney general of Minnesota , is using his power to prevent a large Trump rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really be doing that if he thought Joe Biden had Minnesota in the bag ?
• Would Joe Biden be campaigning in Minnesota today if he thought he had a lock on the state ?
It hasn ’ t voted for a Republican candidate since 1972 !
• Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingle said in a recent CNN interview that autoworkers she assumed were pro-Biden “ were very clear with me last night they were voting for President Trump.
” • Michael Moore is also sounding the alarm on the left , saying , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
… the Trump vote is always being undercounted .
… It ’ s not an accurate count .
… whatever they ’ re saying the Biden lead is , cut it in half.
” • President Trump recently spoke at a rally in North Carolina .
When you heard applause from the audience , you also heard drums from Lumbee Native Americans .
The president has promised to extend federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe .
The Lumbee vote swung one rural county from Obama to Trump in 2016 , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting in record numbers this year .
I have no doubt many on the left are sending out reports today claiming they are on the verge of a landslide victory .
It seems some progressives are already measuring the curtains at the White House .
( Here and here . )
One thing we do know for sure is that early turnout in several states has already reached or exceeded the total vote from 2016 .
One theory behind Hillary Clinton ’ s loss four years ago is that many Democrats believed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bag .
They just didn ’ t believe Donald Trump could win , so they didn ’ t bother to vote .
Democrat turnout was down .
They didn ’ t make that mistake in 2018 .
Democrats outvoted Republicans and we lost control of Congress .
We must not become complacent now .
Every Republican and conservative must vote !
If you have a chance to vote early this weekend , please do so .
If you know of an elderly neighbor who needs a ride to the polls , please @ @ @ @ @ @ @ text or email all your friends and family this weekend and urge them to vote .
We reported last week that Hunter Biden ’ s laptop was seized by the FBI in December as part of a money laundering investigation .
Two of his former business associates , Bevan Cooney and Devan Archer , have already been convicted .
And it seems Hunter isn ’ t out of the woods just yet .
Investigative journalist James Rosen has confirmed that the Justice Department has “ an open and active investigation ” ongoing into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also confirmed that Tony Bobulinski was interviewed by six FBI agents for five hours , and they ’ re not done .
He will be meeting with them again .
Unlike most of the mainstream media , Rosen is doing his job and investigating something they refuse to even talk about !
In addition , Sen. Ron Johnson , chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee , said that all of the information Bobulinski provided to his committee has so far checked out .
It ’ s legitimate , not fake , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Think of the contrast here .
In the closing days of the 2016 campaign , there were leaks and reports that the Trump campaign was under investigation for collusion with Russia .
By the time he delivered his inaugural address , that fake narrative was set , and it dominated the first three years of his presidency .
Christopher Wray insists that the FBI isn ’ t leaking , but the only leaks that come out of the FBI are ones that hurt Trump and help the left .
This Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Prayer for the Persecuted Church .
It is estimated that as many as 250 million Christians around the world live in nations where they face severe persecution for their faith .
As a Trump appointee to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom , I am all too aware of the dangers many Christians endure for a right far too many Americans take for granted .
For example , hundreds of Nigerian Christians have been slaughtered by militant Islamists this year .
And as I have repeatedly warned , China is waging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Chinese Christians are being forced to take down pictures of Jesus and worship the communist dictator instead .
Facial recognition technology is being used to monitor who attends religious services .
The Chinese Communist Party is even rewriting the Bible !
And the coronavirus pandemic has made conditions for Christians in many parts of the world even worse than they already were .
Click here for more information on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church .
If your pastor does not mention Christian persecution overseas this Sunday , please @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in future sermons , and to plan for next year ’ s International Day of Prayer .
Gary Bauer served in President Reagan ’ s administration as Under Secretary of Education and Chief Domestic Policy Advisor .
He ’ s the former President of Family Research Council and former Senior Vice President of Focus on the Family .
Bauer is currently the President of American Values and leads the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom , appointed by President Trump .
Copyright © 2020 Campaign for Working Families .
All rights reserved .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @

Editor’s note: The following is an email update sent to friends and partners of Campaign for Working Families. It is reprinted here by permission of the author.
I have very disturbing news to pass on to you.
We just got a very unsettling phone call. A coalition of the worst far-left, neo-Marxist groups in Washington, called Shutdown DC, is promising attacks on conservative organizations and their leaders in the Washington, D.C., area.
Just so there is no confusion, they literally provided leftist stormtroopers with a convenient map with the addresses of groups and people they want taken down.
I wanted to let you know right away that Campaign for Working Families is one of the organizations that has been targeted.
These radicals battled police in the streets on Tuesday of this week. Most of the local media completely ignored what happened. The bottom line was that 15 officers were seriously injured and one may be permanently blinded.
These are not clowns we’re dealing with. They are trained left-wing revolutionaries. We’ve seen them in the streets of Kenosha, Minneapolis, Portland, and no doubt coming soon to a community near you.
I am reviewing what security measures we can take to protect our office and staff. (They are also putting out the home addresses of conservative leaders.)
The most important thing we need you to do over the next few days when you are praying for our country, the election and our future is to pray specifically for Campaign for Working Families, American Values and our dedicated staff.
I was already, God willing, 99% certain I would stay in this battle, win or lose, after Tuesday. But after being threatened by these Marxist snakes slithering out from underneath their rocks, I’m 150% certain that with your help we will stay on the front lines come what may!
God bless you, and thank you for your partnership with us.
Four Days Out
Here we are on the Friday before Election Day. I have no idea what is going to happen. Most of us don’t believe the polls, so we’re looking for anecdotes and other signals suggesting the race is leaning one way or the other. With that in mind:
Democrat strategist James Carville appears to be in a meltdown after looking at the early voting in Florida. Inexplicably, the Democrat vote in Miami has not turned out as expected.
Democrats in Nevada are suddenly in panic mode because the early vote in rural counties (Trump country) is huge.
Muslim socialist Keith Ellison, the attorney general of Minnesota, is using his power to prevent a large Trump rally in Minnesota this afternoon. Would Ellison really be doing that if he thought Joe Biden had Minnesota in the bag?
Would Joe Biden be campaigning in Minnesota today if he thought he had a lock on the state? It hasn’t voted for a Republican candidate since 1972!
Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingle said in a recent CNN interview that autoworkers she assumed were pro-Biden “were very clear with me last night they were voting for President Trump.”
Michael Moore is also sounding the alarm on the left, saying, “Don’t believe these polls. … the Trump vote is always being undercounted. … It’s not an accurate count. … whatever they’re saying the Biden lead is, cut it in half.”
President Trump recently spoke at a rally in North Carolina. When you heard applause from the audience, you also heard drums from Lumbee Native Americans. The president has promised to extend federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe. The Lumbee vote swung one rural county from Obama to Trump in 2016, and we’ve heard reports that they are voting in record numbers this year.
I have no doubt many on the left are sending out reports today claiming they are on the verge of a landslide victory. It seems some progressives are already measuring the curtains at the White House. (Here and here.)
One thing we do know for sure is that early turnout in several states has already reached or exceeded the total vote from 2016.
One theory behind Hillary Clinton’s loss four years ago is that many Democrats believed the polls and assumed Hillary had it in the bag. They just didn’t believe Donald Trump could win, so they didn’t bother to vote. Democrat turnout was down.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
They didn’t make that mistake in 2018. Democrats outvoted Republicans and we lost control of Congress.
We must not become complacent now. Every Republican and conservative must vote!
If you have a chance to vote early this weekend, please do so. If you know of an elderly neighbor who needs a ride to the polls, please offer to take them.
Call, text or email all your friends and family this weekend and urge them to vote.
An Active Investigation
We reported last week that Hunter Biden’s laptop was seized by the FBI in December as part of a money laundering investigation. Two of his former business associates, Bevan Cooney and Devan Archer, have already been convicted. And it seems Hunter isn’t out of the woods just yet.
Investigative journalist James Rosen has confirmed that the Justice Department has “an open and active investigation” ongoing into Hunter Biden’s activities.
Rosen also confirmed that Tony Bobulinski was interviewed by six FBI agents for five hours, and they’re not done. He will be meeting with them again.
Unlike most of the mainstream media, Rosen is doing his job and investigating something they refuse to even talk about!
In addition, Sen. Ron Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said that all of the information Bobulinski provided to his committee has so far checked out. It’s legitimate, not fake, and not part of a Russian disinformation campaign.
Think of the contrast here. In the closing days of the 2016 campaign, there were leaks and reports that the Trump campaign was under investigation for collusion with Russia. By the time he delivered his inaugural address, that fake narrative was set, and it dominated the first three years of his presidency.
Christopher Wray insists that the FBI isn’t leaking, but the only leaks that come out of the FBI are ones that hurt Trump and help the left.
Pray For the Persecuted Church
This Sunday, November 1st, is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. It is estimated that as many as 250 million Christians around the world live in nations where they face severe persecution for their faith.
As a Trump appointee to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, I am all too aware of the dangers many Christians endure for a right far too many Americans take for granted.
For example, hundreds of Nigerian Christians have been slaughtered by militant Islamists this year. And as I have repeatedly warned, China is waging war against all faiths, including Christianity.
Chinese Christians are being forced to take down pictures of Jesus and worship the communist dictator instead. Facial recognition technology is being used to monitor who attends religious services. The Chinese Communist Party is even rewriting the Bible!
And the coronavirus pandemic has made conditions for Christians in many parts of the world even worse than they already were.
Click here for more information on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.
If your pastor does not mention Christian persecution overseas this Sunday, please encourage him to make it a priority in future sermons, and to plan for next year’s International Day of Prayer.
Gary Bauer served in President Reagan’s administration as Under Secretary of Education and Chief Domestic Policy Advisor. He’s the former President of Family Research Council and former Senior Vice President of Focus on the Family. Bauer is currently the President of American Values and leads the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, appointed by President Trump.
Copyright © 2020 Campaign for Working Families. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the author.


thestream--2020-10-30--NY Post’s ‘Smoking Gun’ Hunter Biden Email 100% Authentic, Forensic Analysis Concludes

An email Hunter Biden received in April 2015 from a Burisma executive discussing an introduction to then-Vice President Joe Biden , which lies at the heart of a New York Post investigation , is unquestionably authentic , a cybersecurity expert told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Thursday .
The DCNF obtained a full copy of Hunter Biden ’ s alleged laptop from former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday .
The DCNF provided Robert Graham , the founder of the cybersecurity firm Errata Security , with a copy of the email and its metadata for forensic analysis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cybersecurity expert in The Washington Post , the Associated Press , Wired , Engadget and other news and technology outlets , told the DCNF that he used a cryptographic signature found in the email ’ s metadata to validate that Vadym Pozharsky , an advisor to Burisma ’ s board of directors , emailed Hunter Biden on April 17 , 2015 .
In the email , Pozharsky thanked Hunter Biden for “ inviting me to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and spent [ sic ] some time together.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the email in October , describing it as a “ smoking-gun ” showing that Hunter Biden had introduced his father to the Burisma executive in 2015 .
The email was sent less than a year before Joe Biden pressured former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to fire a prosecutor who was reportedly investigating the gas company in return for a $ 1 billion loan guarantee .
Graham previously told the DCNF that emails sent from Gmail , such as Pozharski ’ s message to Hunter Biden , can be “ absolutely verified beyond a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its contents against the unique DKIM signature found in its metadata .
Graham used the DKIM signature within the email to verify with a private key on Google ’ s servers that the sender , recipient , subject , date and body of the message that the DCNF obtained from Giuliani were unchanged from when the email was originally sent in April 2015 .
Graham said the only way the email could have been faked is if someone hacked into Google ’ s servers , found the private key and used it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signature .
Email metadata on its own does not provide any indication of whether hacking had anything to with the email ’ s release , Graham noted .
“ Of course , committing criminal hacking doesn ’ t make true information any less true , so no matter how illegitimately they gathered emails , the contents are provably legitimate , ” Graham said .
Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign said in a statement that his schedule indicates that no such meeting as alleged in the email took place .
However , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not rule out the possibility he had a cursory encounter with the Burisma executive .
The email came from a computer that Hunter Biden reportedly dropped off at a Delaware-based computer repair shop in April 2019 .
The repair shop owner provided Giuliani a copy of the hard drive after it went unclaimed .
Hunter Biden has not denied giving his laptop to the Delaware repair shop .
Giuliani had initially refused to provide the Daily Caller with a copy of the hard drive in mid-October , saying that questions surrounding the veracity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” pushed by the “ liberal press.
” The Biden campaign did not immediately return a request for comment .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

An email Hunter Biden received in April 2015 from a Burisma executive discussing an introduction to then-Vice President Joe Biden, which lies at the heart of a New York Post investigation, is unquestionably authentic, a cybersecurity expert told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Thursday.
The DCNF obtained a full copy of Hunter Biden’s alleged laptop from former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday. The DCNF provided Robert Graham, the founder of the cybersecurity firm Errata Security, with a copy of the email and its metadata for forensic analysis.
Graham, who has been cited as a cybersecurity expert in The Washington Post, the Associated Press, Wired, Engadget and other news and technology outlets, told the DCNF that he used a cryptographic signature found in the email’s metadata to validate that Vadym Pozharsky, an advisor to Burisma’s board of directors, emailed Hunter Biden on April 17, 2015.
In the email, Pozharsky thanked Hunter Biden for “inviting me to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and spent [sic] some time together.”
The New York Post first reported the email in October, describing it as a “smoking-gun” showing that Hunter Biden had introduced his father to the Burisma executive in 2015.
The email was sent less than a year before Joe Biden pressured former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to fire a prosecutor who was reportedly investigating the gas company in return for a $1 billion loan guarantee.
Graham previously told the DCNF that emails sent from Gmail, such as Pozharski’s message to Hunter Biden, can be “absolutely verified beyond a shadow of a doubt” by testing its contents against the unique DKIM signature found in its metadata.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Graham used the DKIM signature within the email to verify with a private key on Google’s servers that the sender, recipient, subject, date and body of the message that the DCNF obtained from Giuliani were unchanged from when the email was originally sent in April 2015.
Graham said the only way the email could have been faked is if someone hacked into Google’s servers, found the private key and used it to reverse engineer the email’s DKIM signature.
Email metadata on its own does not provide any indication of whether hacking had anything to with the email’s release, Graham noted.
“Of course, committing criminal hacking doesn’t make true information any less true, so no matter how illegitimately they gathered emails, the contents are provably legitimate,” Graham said.
Joe Biden’s presidential campaign said in a statement that his schedule indicates that no such meeting as alleged in the email took place. However, the campaign later told Politico that they could not rule out the possibility he had a cursory encounter with the Burisma executive.
The email came from a computer that Hunter Biden reportedly dropped off at a Delaware-based computer repair shop in April 2019. The repair shop owner provided Giuliani a copy of the hard drive after it went unclaimed.
Hunter Biden has not denied giving his laptop to the Delaware repair shop.
Giuliani had initially refused to provide the Daily Caller with a copy of the hard drive in mid-October, saying that questions surrounding the veracity of its contents were “pettifogging nonsense” pushed by the “liberal press.”
The Biden campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-10-30--The Intersection of the Gospel, Culture and Politics

Is the American church today too caught up in the culture wars and politics ?
Is this a distraction from our real gospel mission ?
And if we are , in fact , off track , at what point does the gospel intersect with politics and culture ?
It ’ s very easy to go to extremes when it comes to the question of the gospel and politics ( and/or the culture ) .
On the one hand , we can get so involved in the elections and so focused on cultural issues that we lose our primary identity as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put more focus on winning an election than on winning a soul , and we put so much energy into temporal causes that we forget about eternal issues .
On the other hand , we can be so consumed with the world to come that we forget about this present world .
As the old saying goes , we can be so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good .
The truth is that if we will be heavenly minded in the fullest sense , we will be of real earthly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ principles to this age , we can bring about lasting change .
How Does the Gospel Intersect With Culture and Politics ?
In practice , this means : 1 ) We start with God and the gospel rather than starting with politics and culture .
We are followers of Jesus more than we are citizens of any country , and first and foremost , we are here as His witnesses .
2 ) We recognize that the kingdom of God and the message of the gospel intersect with every area of earthly life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , we bring truth and clarity , justice and mercy , conviction and compassion to a lost and confused world .
We are God ’ s hands and feet , offering hope and help in the most practical ways , all in Jesus ’ name .
And we are God ’ s prophetic voice , bringing His message and perspective to every aspect of society .
Really now , is anything outside of the Lord ’ s view or interest ?
Certainly not .
Does He have something to say about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Does He call us to be active in service and witness in each our communities ?
Without a doubt .
This is how the gospel intersects with the culture wars and with politics .
Wanting Others to See the Need We ’ re Helping to Fill This past Saturday , I posted this comment on the AskDrBrown Facebook page : “ Hey friends , may I ask you to respond to this question ?
It is NOT because I base my ministry activities on your opinions .
To the contrary , my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get my marching orders from Him .
I ’ m simply asking for the impact in your own life .
So , do you personally find it helpful that I seek to bring a biblical perspective to cultural and political issues , or would you rather I simply teach Scripture without reference to culture and politics ?
” The response was quite overwhelming , with more than 3,000 comments posted to date .
And almost all of the responses said one of two things : 1 ) Dr. Brown , please don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re doing is so essential !
We need more voices like yours .
2 ) How can you separate the gospel from the culture or politics ?
God has something to say about them all .
Of course , I haven ’ t the slightest doubt that part of God ’ s calling of my life includes being “ your voice of moral , cultural , and spiritual revolution , ” as my radio announcer says every day .
I don ’ t doubt that or question that for a split second .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for one primary reason : I wanted other pastors and leaders to see how important it is that we educate and equip our people .
I wanted to encourage them with the good fruit we are seeing , along with the need we are helping to fill .
As Norine posted , “ The exegesis [ meaning , the biblical interpretation ] of watchmen /spokesmen is vital .
The gospel guides how we live and move and have our ‘ beings ’ meaningfully connected to our real lives .
These are confusing times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much for your wise contributions.
” Personally , I already knew that we were making a positive impact .
That ’ s because we hear from readers and viewers and listeners day and night , saying the same things that these 3,000+ Facebook commenters said .
This is 100 percent by God ’ s grace and totally for His glory .
Any good we can do is by and through Him .
But I wanted others to see this as well .
I wanted to challenge the idea that the gospel operates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world that the spiritual realm hardly intersects with the natural realm .
“ To Live in Protest Against Everything That Opposes God in This World ” As I have often said , the Great Commission is to go and make disciples of the nations .
But how do disciples live ?
That is where the rubber meets the road .
That is where our faith is fleshed out , affecting our personal lives , our family lives , our educational lives and our vocational lives .
In short , we are not of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not live by the principles and priorities of this world .
But we live in this world , bringing the principles of the world to come , a world of perfect righteousness and goodness , into this present world .
In my book Revolution : An Urgent Call to a Holy Uprising , each chapter begins with a selection of powerful quotes .
The first chapter includes these two , the first written in 1981 , addressing American Christians , and the second in 1919 , addressing German Christians : As we turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the last decades , unhappily , we must come to the conclusion that often it has not been much help .
It has shown the mark of a platonic , overly spiritualized Christianity all too often .
Spirituality to the evangelical leadership often has not included the Lordship of Christ over the whole spectrum of life .
Spirituality has often been shut up to a very narrow area .
And also very often , among many evangelicals , including many evangelical leaders , it seems that the final end is to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again asking the question , why have we let ourselves go so far down the road ?
( Francis Schaeffer , A Christian Manifesto ) The attack by socialism and communism on the status quo is a call to our consciences — those of us who consider ourselves Christians .
This call warns us more strongly than any sermon that our task is to live in protest against everything that opposes God in this world .
So poorly have we Christians filled this role that the question must be asked : Are we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Need I say more ?
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 .

Is the American church today too caught up in the culture wars and politics? Is this a distraction from our real gospel mission? And if we are, in fact, off track, at what point does the gospel intersect with politics and culture?
It’s very easy to go to extremes when it comes to the question of the gospel and politics (and/or the culture).
On the one hand, we can get so involved in the elections and so focused on cultural issues that we lose our primary identity as followers of Jesus.
Consequently, we put more focus on winning an election than on winning a soul, and we put so much energy into temporal causes that we forget about eternal issues.
On the other hand, we can be so consumed with the world to come that we forget about this present world. As the old saying goes, we can be so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good.
The truth is that if we will be heavenly minded in the fullest sense, we will be of real earthly good. And when we apply eternal principles to this age, we can bring about lasting change.
How Does the Gospel Intersect With Culture and Politics?
In practice, this means: 1) We start with God and the gospel rather than starting with politics and culture. We are followers of Jesus more than we are citizens of any country, and first and foremost, we are here as His witnesses. 2) We recognize that the kingdom of God and the message of the gospel intersect with every area of earthly life. Then, as gospel-first, kingdom-minded people, we bring truth and clarity, justice and mercy, conviction and compassion to a lost and confused world.
We are God’s hands and feet, offering hope and help in the most practical ways, all in Jesus’ name. And we are God’s prophetic voice, bringing His message and perspective to every aspect of society.
Really now, is anything outside of the Lord’s view or interest? Certainly not.
Really now, is anything outside of the Lord’s view or interest? Certainly not.
Does He have something to say about the direction of a nation? Absolutely yes.
Does He call us to be active in service and witness in each our communities? Without a doubt.
This is how the gospel intersects with the culture wars and with politics.
Wanting Others to See the Need We’re Helping to Fill
This past Saturday, I posted this comment on the AskDrBrown Facebook page: “Hey friends, may I ask you to respond to this question? It is NOT because I base my ministry activities on your opinions. To the contrary, my goal is to honor the Lord and to get my marching orders from Him. I’m simply asking for the impact in your own life. So, do you personally find it helpful that I seek to bring a biblical perspective to cultural and political issues, or would you rather I simply teach Scripture without reference to culture and politics?”
The response was quite overwhelming, with more than 3,000 comments posted to date. And almost all of the responses said one of two things: 1) Dr. Brown, please don’t stop! What you’re doing is so essential! We need more voices like yours. 2) How can you separate the gospel from the culture or politics? God has something to say about them all.
Of course, I haven’t the slightest doubt that part of God’s calling of my life includes being “your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution,” as my radio announcer says every day. I don’t doubt that or question that for a split second.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
But I posted the question on Facebook for one primary reason: I wanted other pastors and leaders to see how important it is that we educate and equip our people. I wanted to encourage them with the good fruit we are seeing, along with the need we are helping to fill.
As Norine posted, “The exegesis [meaning, the biblical interpretation] of watchmen /spokesmen is vital. The gospel guides how we live and move and have our ‘beings’ meaningfully connected to our real lives. These are confusing times with desperately confusing issues. Thank you so much for your wise contributions.”
Personally, I already knew that we were making a positive impact. That’s because we hear from readers and viewers and listeners day and night, saying the same things that these 3,000+ Facebook commenters said. This is 100 percent by God’s grace and totally for His glory. Any good we can do is by and through Him.
But I wanted others to see this as well. I wanted to challenge the idea that the gospel operates on such a different plane from this world that the spiritual realm hardly intersects with the natural realm.
“To Live in Protest Against Everything That Opposes God in This World”
As I have often said, the Great Commission is to go and make disciples of the nations. But how do disciples live? That is where the rubber meets the road. That is where our faith is fleshed out, affecting our personal lives, our family lives, our educational lives and our vocational lives.
In short, we are not of this world, meaning that we do not live by the principles and priorities of this world. But we live in this world, bringing the principles of the world to come, a world of perfect righteousness and goodness, into this present world.
In my book Revolution: An Urgent Call to a Holy Uprising, each chapter begins with a selection of powerful quotes. The first chapter includes these two, the first written in 1981, addressing American Christians, and the second in 1919, addressing German Christians:
As we turn to the evangelical leadership of this country in the last decades, unhappily, we must come to the conclusion that often it has not been much help. It has shown the mark of a platonic, overly spiritualized Christianity all too often. Spirituality to the evangelical leadership often has not included the Lordship of Christ over the whole spectrum of life. Spirituality has often been shut up to a very narrow area. And also very often, among many evangelicals, including many evangelical leaders, it seems that the final end is to protect their own projects. … I am again asking the question, why have we let ourselves go so far down the road? (Francis Schaeffer, A Christian Manifesto)
The attack by socialism and communism on the status quo is a call to our consciences — those of us who consider ourselves Christians. This call warns us more strongly than any sermon that our task is to live in protest against everything that opposes God in this world. So poorly have we Christians filled this role that the question must be asked: Are we Christians at all? (Eberhard Arnold)
Need I say more?
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test? Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-10-30--What’s Happening With The Polls?

What’s Happening With The Polls?

On the evening of October 29th , The Economist updated their poll-based election forecast model .
It gave a 96 % chance for Biden to take the electoral college , and it said it was all but certain , greater than a 99 % chance , he will win the popular vote .
These are incredible numbers .
Yet not unusual .
For instance , on that same night , Nate Silver ’ s 538 site had a poll average of 52 % for Biden and 43.2 % for Trump ( the other 4.8 % going to other candidates and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that average had Biden ahead .
Two had Biden up 12 points over Trump .
Silver wrote that Trump ’ s chance of winning were “ a little worse than the chances of rolling a 1 on a six-sided die and a little better than the chances that it ’ s raining in downtown Los Angeles , ” which he cited as 1 in 10 .
There are others beside these two firms , but almost all favor Biden by a large margin .
“ At this point , ” Silver rightly said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling error in his favor if he ’ s going to win.
” This is not impossible .
Most polls in 2016 blew it .
Including Silver ’ s .
His last poll average gave 45.7 % to Clinton and 41.8 % to Trump ( 4.8 % went to the forgotten Libertarian candidate ) .
Silver ’ s poll-based model gave a 71.4 % chance of Hillary winning .
Many modelers were bolder than this — and their record was dismal .
There have been several lachrymose postmortems since then searching for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fresh efforts at analyzing the 2016 polls , given their eerie similarity to today ’ s .
All these analyses say what The Atlantic says : “ Don ’ t sweat the polls.
” Polls can be taken in two basic ways : as a snapshot of current desires , or as a prediction of the outcome .
There ’ s no real way to prove any poll erred in summarizing current desires , but it ’ s obvious how to check them as predictions .
Besides cheating , which usually takes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released to generate headlines , like those that hugely over-sample Democrats , polls get predictions wrong because they do not accurately represent what the actual voters “ look like.
” Ideally , if 49 % men and 51 % women vote in the election , then the poll must directly sample 49 % men and 51 % women .
Or it must statistically adjust the ratio of sex in their sample so that it matches the 49/51 split .
But that means they have to guess what the eventual ratio will be , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be 49/51 .
There is more to who votes , and for what reason , than just sex .
There is geography , education , age , occupation , health , party , and many other characteristics .
Not everything about people is important to sample : just those things that are tied in some way to how people actually vote .
Unfortunately , nobody is quite sure just what those exact things are .
Or what their breakdown will be in the actual election .
There is a lot of guessing going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focused on the how the ( serious ) poll samples did not match who showed up to vote .
In one such effort , CBS said : This assumes college status is important in why people cast their votes , which surely has some truth to it .
But it also means that even if a poll sample exactly matches the actual voters in the breakdown of characteristics it tracks , the poll can still be inaccurate .
Because the characteristics it tracked might not have been important in why people voted how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come in .
A poll average can be taken as a model , a prediction of the outcome .
More usually , the polls are fed into statistical contraptions that can also accommodate other information , like economics measures .
There is nothing special in these models .
They , like all models , only say what they ’ re told to say .
In effect , they say , “ If the polls are at this level , and the economic indicators are that , then say Biden 96 % .
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they tell their models to say , the models will be accurate .
Otherwise , they will not .
The 2016 models weren ’ t accurate .
So they were told to say the wrong things .
This means they gave too much weight to polls , or to the other measures put into the model .
Now the mathematics these models use have been honed and adjusted over many years and many elections .
Prior to the arrival of Trump , they didn ’ t do too badly .
These older elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irrelevant after Trump .
Things changed in a fundamental way .
But the models might not know this .
We won ’ t know until long after the election , when the 2020 postmortems come in .
But it does not appear to me that these Trumpean changes have been added to most poll models .
Modelers and pollsters seem to still think this will be an election like other elections , at least in most respects .
I have no direct proof of this , since I don ’ t have access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is nothing in public statements made by pollsters to suggest otherwise .
One fundamental change is the poll data itself .
Are people telling the truth when they say to a random stranger , who is possibly recording the call , “ Yes , of course I ’ m voting for Biden ” ?
There are many who dismiss the “ shy Trump ” phenomenon , insisting most tell the truth , or that the fibs people tell pollsters balance out .
If you truly doubt the existence of shy Trumpers , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place of business tomorrow morning wearing a MAGA hat and say , “ I ’ m voting for Trump.
” The level of your unwillingness to participate in this experiment indicates your true belief in shy Trumpers .
Poll models that don ’ t account for this phenomenon will give Biden a larger chance of winning .
Traditional poll models also give a lot of weight to formal party affiliation of those polled .
This would be fine if Trump were a true party man , as Bush and his Republican predecessors were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this late date , though , that Trump belongs to either party .
Again , models that don ’ t note this change will give Biden a larger chance .
Not Everything Can Be Quantified The last problem with models are incorporating non-quantifiable information .
Modelers love poll and economic data , because they ’ re hard numbers , and hard numbers are easy to manipulate with math .
Modelers come to love their numbers too much , though , ignoring those things that are not quantifiable , but which most would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Christopher Rufo : “ Luxury shops in DC are boarding up in anticipation of the election.
” This is accompanied by a picture of shops readying themselves for the hurricane .
It ’ s easy to guess who these owners think is likely to win , and who the sore losers will be .
How do you put this information into a mathematical model ?
You can ’ t , really .
Which is why modelers lean toward dismissing unquantifiable yet pertinent information .
The poll I used to publicly forecast a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I use now to make the same bet .
Rally size and enthusiasm .
Trump was in small town Wisconsin on the night of the 24th .
Reported weather : 37 degrees .
Crowd size : at least a thousand , maybe double .
This was the last rally he had on that Saturday , each jammed with enthusiastic supporters .
This was not an unusual day .
Joe Biden on that same day was in rural Pennsylvania .
No report on audience size , but an NPR picture shows him standing alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lonely .
A caption for the picture , knowing some would question the lack of a crowd , read , “ Appearances by [ Biden ] and his surrogates follow social distancing guidelines.
” Staying home is , of course , a form of social distancing .
Even Obama is having trouble raking them in for Joe .
A video shows Obama haranguing an audience of at least seven people about the wonders of Biden with a bullhorn .
They didn ’ t appear convinced .
When Hillary ran , she drew at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high school gymnasiums .
Some of these crowds were even boisterous .
Biden ’ s followers , however , resemble fans in an near-empty bleachers trying to start The Wave .
They know it ’ s the thing to do , but their hearts aren ’ t in it .
Then there ’ s the t-shirt poll , which is similar to , but easier to understand than the donations-raised poll .
Biden t-shirts are going for $ 2.99 , and Trump ’ s for $ 6.99 — or two for $ 12.00 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think anybody would be buying two Bidens .
The Picture Is Not So Clear It ’ s easy to get carried away with this kind of thing .
Still , it ’ s telling there aren ’ t many good pro-Biden examples .
Except for things like this Tiktok video of a daughter who harangued her dying father into voting for Biden to please her .
Or another Tiktok with a woman with an asymmetrical haircut dancing badly to “ When you say Joe , we say Biden.
” The last bit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the press displays : they are a little too anxious to show they are not worried about the polls .
This Reuters headline is typical : “ So what if Biden is up in the polls ?
Weren ’ t they wrong last time ?
” There are too many stories from the left saying how not worried they are .
Some on the left , like Michael Moore , understand this .
Most don ’ t .
There just isn ’ t any clear way for pollsters to mathematically model all this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s that insistence on strict mathematics that may , yet again , lead to the downfall of the polls and pollsters .

On the evening of October 29th, The Economist updated their poll-based election forecast model. It gave a 96% chance for Biden to take the electoral college, and it said it was all but certain, greater than a 99% chance, he will win the popular vote.
These are incredible numbers. Yet not unusual.
For instance, on that same night, Nate Silver’s 538 site had a poll average of 52% for Biden and 43.2% for Trump (the other 4.8% going to other candidates and uncertainty). Every poll used in that average had Biden ahead. Two had Biden up 12 points over Trump.
Silver wrote that Trump’s chance of winning were “a little worse than the chances of rolling a 1 on a six-sided die and a little better than the chances that it’s raining in downtown Los Angeles,” which he cited as 1 in 10.
There are others beside these two firms, but almost all favor Biden by a large margin.
“At this point,” Silver rightly said, “President Trump needs a big polling error in his favor if he’s going to win.”
This is not impossible. Most polls in 2016 blew it. Including Silver’s. His last poll average gave 45.7% to Clinton and 41.8% to Trump (4.8% went to the forgotten Libertarian candidate). Silver’s poll-based model gave a 71.4% chance of Hillary winning.
Many modelers were bolder than this — and their record was dismal. There have been several lachrymose postmortems since then searching for the cause of error. There are even fresh efforts at analyzing the 2016 polls, given their eerie similarity to today’s. All these analyses say what The Atlantic says: “Don’t sweat the polls.”
What Polls Are
Polls can be taken in two basic ways: as a snapshot of current desires, or as a prediction of the outcome. There’s no real way to prove any poll erred in summarizing current desires, but it’s obvious how to check them as predictions.
Besides cheating, which usually takes the form of non-serious “news” polls released to generate headlines, like those that hugely over-sample Democrats, polls get predictions wrong because they do not accurately represent what the actual voters “look like.”
Ideally, if 49% men and 51% women vote in the election, then the poll must directly sample 49% men and 51% women. Or it must statistically adjust the ratio of sex in their sample so that it matches the 49/51 split. But that means they have to guess what the eventual ratio will be, since nobody knows in advance it will be 49/51.
There is more to who votes, and for what reason, than just sex. There is geography, education, age, occupation, health, party, and many other characteristics. Not everything about people is important to sample: just those things that are tied in some way to how people actually vote.
Unfortunately, nobody is quite sure just what those exact things are. Or what their breakdown will be in the actual election. There is a lot of guessing going on in polls.
Who Was Sampled
The 2016 postmortems focused on the how the (serious) poll samples did not match who showed up to vote. In one such effort, CBS said:
An examination of the 2016 electorate by Pew found that Whites with a four-year college degree or more education made up 30% of all validated voters, while White voters who had not completed college made up 44%. Only 38% of college-educated Whites said they voted for Mr. Trump, whereas he won by more than two-to-one (64% to 28%) among white voters who had not completed college.
This assumes college status is important in why people cast their votes, which surely has some truth to it. But it also means that even if a poll sample exactly matches the actual voters in the breakdown of characteristics it tracks, the poll can still be inaccurate. Because the characteristics it tracked might not have been important in why people voted how they did.
Models
This is where models come in. A poll average can be taken as a model, a prediction of the outcome. More usually, the polls are fed into statistical contraptions that can also accommodate other information, like economics measures.
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There is nothing special in these models. They, like all models, only say what they’re told to say. In effect, they say, “If the polls are at this level, and the economic indicators are that, then say Biden 96%.” If the modelers guess right about what they tell their models to say, the models will be accurate. Otherwise, they will not.
The 2016 models weren’t accurate. So they were told to say the wrong things. This means they gave too much weight to polls, or to the other measures put into the model.
Outdated Math
Now the mathematics these models use have been honed and adjusted over many years and many elections. Prior to the arrival of Trump, they didn’t do too badly. These older elections shared many similarities and customs that became irrelevant after Trump. Things changed in a fundamental way. But the models might not know this.
It does not appear to me that these Trumpean changes have been added to most poll models. Modelers and pollsters seem to still think this will be an election like other elections,
We won’t know until long after the election, when the 2020 postmortems come in. But it does not appear to me that these Trumpean changes have been added to most poll models. Modelers and pollsters seem to still think this will be an election like other elections, at least in most respects. I have no direct proof of this, since I don’t have access to the models themselves, but there is nothing in public statements made by pollsters to suggest otherwise.
One fundamental change is the poll data itself. Are people telling the truth when they say to a random stranger, who is possibly recording the call, “Yes, of course I’m voting for Biden”?
There are many who dismiss the “shy Trump” phenomenon, insisting most tell the truth, or that the fibs people tell pollsters balance out. If you truly doubt the existence of shy Trumpers, then try this experiment. Go into your place of business tomorrow morning wearing a MAGA hat and say, “I’m voting for Trump.” The level of your unwillingness to participate in this experiment indicates your true belief in shy Trumpers.
Poll models that don’t account for this phenomenon will give Biden a larger chance of winning.
Traditional poll models also give a lot of weight to formal party affiliation of those polled. This would be fine if Trump were a true party man, as Bush and his Republican predecessors were. It’s hard to argue at this late date, though, that Trump belongs to either party. Again, models that don’t note this change will give Biden a larger chance.
Not Everything Can Be Quantified
The last problem with models are incorporating non-quantifiable information. Modelers love poll and economic data, because they’re hard numbers, and hard numbers are easy to manipulate with math. Modelers come to love their numbers too much, though, ignoring those things that are not quantifiable, but which most would accept are predictive.
Take this tweet by Christopher Rufo: “Luxury shops in DC are boarding up in anticipation of the election.” This is accompanied by a picture of shops readying themselves for the hurricane.
Luxury shops in DC are boarding up in anticipation of the election. pic.twitter.com/3VMVkvoMsG — Christopher F. Rufo ⚔ (@realchrisrufo) October 29, 2020
It’s easy to guess who these owners think is likely to win, and who the sore losers will be. How do you put this information into a mathematical model? You can’t, really. Which is why modelers lean toward dismissing unquantifiable yet pertinent information.
The poll I used to publicly forecast a 2016 Trump victory is the same one I use now to make the same bet. Rally size and enthusiasm.
Trump was in small town Wisconsin on the night of the 24th. Reported weather: 37 degrees. Crowd size: at least a thousand, maybe double.
This was the last rally he had on that Saturday, each jammed with enthusiastic supporters. This was not an unusual day.
Joe Biden on that same day was in rural Pennsylvania. No report on audience size, but an NPR picture shows him standing alone in the far distance, looking fairly lonely. A caption for the picture, knowing some would question the lack of a crowd, read, “Appearances by [Biden] and his surrogates follow social distancing guidelines.”
Staying home is, of course, a form of social distancing.
Even Obama is having trouble raking them in for Joe. A video shows Obama haranguing an audience of at least seven people about the wonders of Biden with a bullhorn. They didn’t appear convinced.
When Hillary ran, she drew at least multiple dozens to even hundreds in high school gymnasiums. Some of these crowds were even boisterous.
Biden couldn’t fill a high school gym, but Donald Trump (👇🏼) is behind in the polls? pic.twitter.com/qRIu40xSSp — James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) October 30, 2020
Biden’s followers, however, resemble fans in an near-empty bleachers trying to start The Wave. They know it’s the thing to do, but their hearts aren’t in it.
Then there’s the t-shirt poll, which is similar to, but easier to understand than the donations-raised poll. Biden t-shirts are going for $2.99, and Trump’s for $6.99 — or two for $12.00. The seller evidently didn’t think anybody would be buying two Bidens.
The Picture Is Not So Clear
It’s easy to get carried away with this kind of thing. Still, it’s telling there aren’t many good pro-Biden examples. Except for things like this Tiktok video of a daughter who harangued her dying father into voting for Biden to please her. Or another Tiktok with a woman with an asymmetrical haircut dancing badly to “When you say Joe, we say Biden.”
The last bit of evidence I offer is the insouciant nervousness the press displays: they are a little too anxious to show they are not worried about the polls. This Reuters headline is typical: “So what if Biden is up in the polls? Weren’t they wrong last time?” There are too many stories from the left saying how not worried they are. Some on the left, like Michael Moore, understand this. Most don’t.
There just isn’t any clear way for pollsters to mathematically model all this, so good information gets left out. It’s that insistence on strict mathematics that may, yet again, lead to the downfall of the polls and pollsters.


thestream--2020-10-30--President Trump, the Conspiracy Is Real

President Trump, the Conspiracy Is Real

Publisher ’ s note : This message by Archbishop Vigano is a direct answer to my prayer that God ’ s truth would be spoken clearly in this day .
We do not have to give our homes , families , communities , cities , counties , states or nation to the deceiver .
He does not have to prevail on our watch .
He does not have to be allowed to walk on us as the tormentors Isaiah referred to .
Our Lord said we ’ re to walk on the enemy , the deceiver , the murderer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s in the power of our Lord ’ s redemptive , unconditional love and transforming truth not only declared , but demonstrated through the lives of the uniquely designed all-important , sprit-filled members of the body of Christ , the church .
Hear our Father and our Lord through what this man has shared .
It is a message from God , not only to President Trump but to the world and to the church , the body of Christ , which the gates of hell must not be allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who love freedom , and the church must hear and respond appropriately .
– James Robison Allow me to address you at this hour in which the fate of the whole world is being threatened by a global conspiracy against God and humanity .
I write to you as an Archbishop , as a Successor of the Apostles , as the former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America .
I am writing to you in the midst of the silence of both civil and religious authorities .
May you accept these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of one crying out in the desert ” ( Jn 1:23 ) .
As I said when I wrote my letter to you in June , this historical moment sees the forces of Evil aligned in a battle without quarter against the forces of Good ; forces of Evil that appear powerful and organized as they oppose the children of Light , who are disoriented and disorganized , abandoned by their temporal and spiritual leaders .
Daily we sense the attacks multiplying of those who want to destroy the very basis of society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human life , love of country , freedom of education and business .
We see heads of nations and religious leaders pandering to this suicide of Western culture and its Christian soul , while the fundamental rights of citizens and believers are denied in the name of a health emergency that is revealing itself more and more fully as instrumental to the establishment of an inhuman faceless tyranny .
A global plan called the Great Reset is underway .
Its architect is a global élite that wants to subdue all of humanity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limit individual freedoms and those of entire populations .
In several nations this plan has already been approved and financed ; in others it is still in an early stage .
Behind the world leaders who are the accomplices and executors of this infernal project , there are unscrupulous characters who finance the World Economic Forum and Event 201 , promoting their agenda .
The purpose of the Great Reset is the imposition of a health dictatorship aiming at the imposition of liberticidal measures , hidden behind tempting promises of ensuring a universal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price of these concessions from the International Monetary Fund will be the renunciation of private property and adherence to a program of vaccination against Covid-19 and Covid-21 promoted by Bill Gates with the collaboration of the main pharmaceutical groups .
Beyond the enormous economic interests that motivate the promoters of the Great Reset , the imposition of the vaccination will be accompanied by the requirement of a health passport and a digital ID , with the consequent contact tracing of the population of the entire world .
Those who do not accept these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or placed under house arrest , and all their assets will be confiscated .
Mr. President , I imagine that you are already aware that in some countries the Great Reset will be activated between the end of this year and the first trimester of 2021 .
For this purpose , further lockdowns are planned , which will be officially justified by a supposed second and third wave of the pandemic .
You are well aware of the means that have been deployed to sow panic and legitimize draconian limitations on individual liberties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the intentions of its architects , this crisis will serve to make the recourse of nations to the Great Reset irreversible , thereby giving the final blow to a world whose existence and very memory they want to completely cancel .
But this world , Mr. President , includes people , affections , institutions , faith , culture , traditions , and ideals : people and values that do not act like automatons , who do not obey like machines , because they are endowed with a soul and a heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a spiritual bond that draws its strength from above , from that God that our adversaries want to challenge , just as Lucifer did at the beginning of time with his “ non serviam.
” Many people – as we well know – are annoyed by this reference to the clash between Good and Evil and the use of “ apocalyptic ” overtones , which according to them exasperates spirits and sharpens divisions .
It is not surprising that the enemy is angered at being discovered just when he believes he has reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What is surprising , however , is that there is no one to sound the alarm .
The reaction of the deep state to those who denounce its plan is broken and incoherent , but understandable .
Just when the complicity of the mainstream media had succeeded in making the transition to the New World Order almost painless and unnoticed , all sorts of deceptions , scandals and crimes are coming to light .
Until a few months ago , it was easy to smear as “ conspiracy theorists ” those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now see being carried out down to the smallest detail .
No one , up until last February , would ever have thought that , in all of our cities , citizens would be arrested simply for wanting to walk down the street , to breathe , to want to keep their business open , to want to go to church on Sunday .
Yet now it is happening all over the world , even in picture-postcard Italy that many Americans consider to be a small enchanted country , with its ancient monuments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , its characteristic villages .
And while the politicians are barricaded inside their palaces promulgating decrees like Persian satraps , businesses are failing , shops are closing , and people are prevented from living , traveling , working , and praying .
The disastrous psychological consequences of this operation are already being seen , beginning with the suicides of desperate entrepreneurs and of our children , segregated from friends and classmates , told to follow their classes while sitting at home alone in front of a computer .
In Sacred Scripture , Saint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one who opposes ” the manifestation of the mystery of iniquity , the kathèkon ( 2 Thess 2:6-7 ) .
In the religious sphere , this obstacle to evil is the Church , and in particular the papacy ; in the political sphere , it is those who impede the establishment of the New World Order .
As is now clear , the one who occupies the Chair of Peter has betrayed his role from the very beginning in order to defend and promote the globalist ideology , supporting the agenda of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its ranks .
Mr. President , you have clearly stated that you want to defend the nation – One Nation under God , fundamental liberties , and non-negotiable values that are denied and fought against today .
It is you , dear President , who are “ the one who opposes ” the deep state , the final assault of the children of darkness .
The U.S. Election in the Plan of God For this reason , it is necessary that all people of good will be persuaded of the epochal importance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the sake of this or that political program , but because of the general inspiration of your action that best embodies – in this particular historical context – that world , our world , which they want to cancel by means of the lockdown .
Your adversary is also our adversary : it is the Enemy of the human race , He who is “ a murderer from the beginning ” ( Jn 8:44 ) .
Around you are gathered with faith and courage those who consider you the final garrison against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote for a person who is manipulated by the deep state , gravely compromised by scandals and corruption , who will do to the United States what Jorge Mario Bergoglio is doing to the Church , Prime Minister Conte to Italy , President Macron to France , Prime Minster Sanchez to Spain , and so on .
The blackmailable nature of Joe Biden – just like that of the prelates of the Vatican ’ s “ magic circle ” – will expose him to be used unscrupulously , allowing illegitimate powers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as international balances .
It is obvious that those who manipulate him already have someone worse than him ready , with whom they will replace him as soon as the opportunity arises .
And yet , in the midst of this bleak picture , this apparently unstoppable advance of the “ Invisible Enemy , ” an element of hope emerges .
The adversary does not know how to love , and it does not understand that it is not enough to assure a universal income or to cancel mortgages in order to subjugate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ branded like cattle .
This people , which for too long has endured the abuses of a hateful and tyrannical power , is rediscovering that it has a soul ; it is understanding that it is not willing to exchange its freedom for the homogenization and cancellation of its identity ; it is beginning to understand the value of familial and social ties , of the bonds of faith and culture that unite honest people .
This Great Reset is destined to fail because those who planned it do not understand that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the streets to defend their rights , to protect their loved ones , to give a future to their children and grandchildren .
The leveling inhumanity of the globalist project will shatter miserably in the face of the firm and courageous opposition of the children of Light .
The enemy has Satan on its side , He who only knows how to hate .
But on our side , we have the Lord Almighty , the God of armies arrayed for battle , and the Most Holy Virgin , who will crush the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If God is for us , who can be against us ?
” ( Rom 8:31 ) .
Mr. President , you are well aware that , in this crucial hour , the United States of America is considered the defending wall against which the war declared by the advocates of globalism has been unleashed .
Place your trust in the Lord , strengthened by the words of the Apostle Paul : “ I can do all things in Him who strengthens me ” ( Phil 4:13 ) .
To be an instrument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for which you will certainly receive all the graces of state that you need , since they are being fervently implored for you by the many people who support you with their prayers .
With this heavenly hope and the assurance of my prayer for you , for the First Lady , and for your collaborators , with all my heart I send you my blessing .
Former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America

Publisher’s note: This message by Archbishop Vigano is a direct answer to my prayer that God’s truth would be spoken clearly in this day. We do not have to give our homes, families, communities, cities, counties, states or nation to the deceiver. He does not have to prevail on our watch. He does not have to be allowed to walk on us as the tormentors Isaiah referred to. Our Lord said we’re to walk on the enemy, the deceiver, the murderer, like dust under our feet, and that’s in the power of our Lord’s redemptive, unconditional love and transforming truth not only declared, but demonstrated through the lives of the uniquely designed all-important, sprit-filled members of the body of Christ, the church.
Hear our Father and our Lord through what this man has shared. It is a message from God, not only to President Trump but to the world and to the church, the body of Christ, which the gates of hell must not be allowed to prevail against. The President, those who love freedom, and the church must hear and respond appropriately. – James Robison
Dear Mr. President,
Allow me to address you at this hour in which the fate of the whole world is being threatened by a global conspiracy against God and humanity. I write to you as an Archbishop, as a Successor of the Apostles, as the former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America. I am writing to you in the midst of the silence of both civil and religious authorities. May you accept these words of mine as the “voice of one crying out in the desert” (Jn 1:23).
As I said when I wrote my letter to you in June, this historical moment sees the forces of Evil aligned in a battle without quarter against the forces of Good; forces of Evil that appear powerful and organized as they oppose the children of Light, who are disoriented and disorganized, abandoned by their temporal and spiritual leaders.
Seizing Our Rights
Daily we sense the attacks multiplying of those who want to destroy the very basis of society: the natural family, respect for human life, love of country, freedom of education and business. We see heads of nations and religious leaders pandering to this suicide of Western culture and its Christian soul, while the fundamental rights of citizens and believers are denied in the name of a health emergency that is revealing itself more and more fully as instrumental to the establishment of an inhuman faceless tyranny.
A global plan called the Great Reset is underway. Its architect is a global élite that wants to subdue all of humanity, imposing coercive measures with which to drastically limit individual freedoms and those of entire populations. In several nations this plan has already been approved and financed; in others it is still in an early stage. Behind the world leaders who are the accomplices and executors of this infernal project, there are unscrupulous characters who finance the World Economic Forum and Event 201, promoting their agenda.
A Health Dictatorship
The purpose of the Great Reset is the imposition of a health dictatorship aiming at the imposition of liberticidal measures, hidden behind tempting promises of ensuring a universal income and cancelling individual debt. The price of these concessions from the International Monetary Fund will be the renunciation of private property and adherence to a program of vaccination against Covid-19 and Covid-21 promoted by Bill Gates with the collaboration of the main pharmaceutical groups. Beyond the enormous economic interests that motivate the promoters of the Great Reset, the imposition of the vaccination will be accompanied by the requirement of a health passport and a digital ID, with the consequent contact tracing of the population of the entire world. Those who do not accept these measures will be confined in detention camps or placed under house arrest, and all their assets will be confiscated.
Those who do not accept these measures will be confined in detention camps or placed under house arrest, and all their assets will be confiscated.
Mr. President, I imagine that you are already aware that in some countries the Great Reset will be activated between the end of this year and the first trimester of 2021. For this purpose, further lockdowns are planned, which will be officially justified by a supposed second and third wave of the pandemic. You are well aware of the means that have been deployed to sow panic and legitimize draconian limitations on individual liberties, artfully provoking a world-wide economic crisis.
Irreversible Power Grabs
In the intentions of its architects, this crisis will serve to make the recourse of nations to the Great Reset irreversible, thereby giving the final blow to a world whose existence and very memory they want to completely cancel. But this world, Mr. President, includes people, affections, institutions, faith, culture, traditions, and ideals: people and values that do not act like automatons, who do not obey like machines, because they are endowed with a soul and a heart, because they are tied together by a spiritual bond that draws its strength from above, from that God that our adversaries want to challenge, just as Lucifer did at the beginning of time with his “non serviam.”
Many people – as we well know – are annoyed by this reference to the clash between Good and Evil and the use of “apocalyptic” overtones, which according to them exasperates spirits and sharpens divisions. It is not surprising that the enemy is angered at being discovered just when he believes he has reached the citadel he seeks to conquer undisturbed. What is surprising, however, is that there is no one to sound the alarm. The reaction of the deep state to those who denounce its plan is broken and incoherent, but understandable. Just when the complicity of the mainstream media had succeeded in making the transition to the New World Order almost painless and unnoticed, all sorts of deceptions, scandals and crimes are coming to light.
A Conspiracy, Not a Theory
Until a few months ago, it was easy to smear as “conspiracy theorists” those who denounced these terrible plans, which we now see being carried out down to the smallest detail. No one, up until last February, would ever have thought that, in all of our cities, citizens would be arrested simply for wanting to walk down the street, to breathe, to want to keep their business open, to want to go to church on Sunday.
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Yet now it is happening all over the world, even in picture-postcard Italy that many Americans consider to be a small enchanted country, with its ancient monuments, its churches, its charming cities, its characteristic villages. And while the politicians are barricaded inside their palaces promulgating decrees like Persian satraps, businesses are failing, shops are closing, and people are prevented from living, traveling, working, and praying.
The disastrous psychological consequences of this operation are already being seen, beginning with the suicides of desperate entrepreneurs and of our children, segregated from friends and classmates, told to follow their classes while sitting at home alone in front of a computer.
The Mystery of Iniquity
In Sacred Scripture, Saint Paul speaks to us of “the one who opposes” the manifestation of the mystery of iniquity, the kathèkon (2 Thess 2:6-7). In the religious sphere, this obstacle to evil is the Church, and in particular the papacy; in the political sphere, it is those who impede the establishment of the New World Order.
As is now clear, the one who occupies the Chair of Peter has betrayed his role from the very beginning in order to defend and promote the globalist ideology, supporting the agenda of the deep church, who chose him from its ranks.
Mr. President, you have clearly stated that you want to defend the nation – One Nation under God, fundamental liberties, and non-negotiable values that are denied and fought against today. It is you, dear President, who are “the one who opposes” the deep state, the final assault of the children of darkness.
The U.S. Election in the Plan of God
For this reason, it is necessary that all people of good will be persuaded of the epochal importance of the imminent election: not so much for the sake of this or that political program, but because of the general inspiration of your action that best embodies – in this particular historical context – that world, our world, which they want to cancel by means of the lockdown. Your adversary is also our adversary: it is the Enemy of the human race, He who is “a murderer from the beginning” (Jn 8:44).
Around you are gathered with faith and courage those who consider you the final garrison against the world dictatorship. The alternative is to vote for a person who is manipulated by the deep state, gravely compromised by scandals and corruption, who will do to the United States what Jorge Mario Bergoglio is doing to the Church, Prime Minister Conte to Italy, President Macron to France, Prime Minster Sanchez to Spain, and so on.
The blackmailable nature of Joe Biden – just like that of the prelates of the Vatican’s “magic circle” – will expose him to be used unscrupulously, allowing illegitimate powers to interfere in both domestic politics as well as international balances. It is obvious that those who manipulate him already have someone worse than him ready, with whom they will replace him as soon as the opportunity arises.
The Hope of Christ
And yet, in the midst of this bleak picture, this apparently unstoppable advance of the “Invisible Enemy,” an element of hope emerges. The adversary does not know how to love, and it does not understand that it is not enough to assure a universal income or to cancel mortgages in order to subjugate the masses and convince them to be branded like cattle. This people, which for too long has endured the abuses of a hateful and tyrannical power, is rediscovering that it has a soul; it is understanding that it is not willing to exchange its freedom for the homogenization and cancellation of its identity; it is beginning to understand the value of familial and social ties, of the bonds of faith and culture that unite honest people.
This Great Reset is destined to fail because those who planned it do not understand that there are still people ready to take to the streets to defend their rights, to protect their loved ones, to give a future to their children and grandchildren. The leveling inhumanity of the globalist project will shatter miserably in the face of the firm and courageous opposition of the children of Light. The enemy has Satan on its side, He who only knows how to hate. But on our side, we have the Lord Almighty, the God of armies arrayed for battle, and the Most Holy Virgin, who will crush the head of the ancient Serpent. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31).
Trust in the Lord
Mr. President, you are well aware that, in this crucial hour, the United States of America is considered the defending wall against which the war declared by the advocates of globalism has been unleashed. Place your trust in the Lord, strengthened by the words of the Apostle Paul: “I can do all things in Him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). To be an instrument of Divine Providence is a great responsibility, for which you will certainly receive all the graces of state that you need, since they are being fervently implored for you by the many people who support you with their prayers.
With this heavenly hope and the assurance of my prayer for you, for the First Lady, and for your collaborators, with all my heart I send you my blessing.
God bless the United States of America!
+ Carlo Maria Viganò
Tit. Archbishop of Ulpiana
Former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America


thestream--2020-10-30--The Catholic Case for Biden, Part VI: Pope Francis and George Soros Back Him

This is the final installment of a six-part series .
See Part I , Part II , Part III , Part IV , and Part V. We ’ ve worked our way through most of the 46 issues U.S. Catholic bishops considered as important as abortion .
They piled them high and deep in their own impenetrable document , and a pro-Biden Catholic group spun the list as best they could in an official-looking “ Catholic Voters Guide.
” There are quite a few issues left , and we ’ ll go through them in detail .
But to understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to know something , and we are obliged to tell you .
George Soros and his globalist buddies really , really want Joe Biden to win .
So does the government of China .
And so does Pope Francis , who is allied to both of the above .
That ’ s not just our judgment .
That ’ s the conclusion of the former Vatican ambassador to the U.S. , Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano .
He ’ s the man who outed the Vatican ’ s cover-up of sex abuser Cardinal Theodore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whom Francis sent to negotiate the Vatican ’ s alliance with China against the West .
Vigano characterized the new , Vatican-backed agitprop film about the wonders of Pope Francis , Francesco , as a “ Biden campaign ad.
” Watch the trailer and judge for yourself .
This is the film where Francis endorses same-sex civil unions .
The director who made it also produced a slick propaganda film in support of the CIA ’ s coup in Ukraine , which helped make the Biden family rich via secret deals .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week in its very own gardens , and gave the director a prize .
Did you spot Greta Thunberg in the trailer ?
Pope Francis ’ nasty comments about Trump “ building a wall ” ?
This is slick , sick stuff designed to move the needle for Joe Biden , now , before it ’ s too late .
Read his latest 45,000-word encyclical .
Francis has clearly aligned the Church behind global leftists who oppose national sovereignty , border control , free markets , fossil fuels , gun rights , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s on board with those weaponizing a virus with a very low death rate to embark on a Great Reset , stripping us of most of the rights we were born with in the name of … “ safety.
” Many U.S. bishops enthusiastically follow him , while others stay timidly silent .
We don ’ t draw paychecks from the Church .
We don ’ t care if bishops blackball us .
We ’ re going to speak out as Christians , Americans , and citizens against this global power grab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here in our last response to the U.S. bishops ’ laundry list of political issues .
Under this category , the Catholic Voters Guide lists several related issues .
It judges both candidates as roughly equal except on two questions .
On both it proves misleading .
The Voters Guide claims Joe Biden helps to “ Combat Racism , ” while Donald Trump ’ s commitment to doing that is “ inconclusive.
” As evidence in Biden ’ s favor , it confusingly cites his work on the 1994 crime bill ( disproportionately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he now claims to regret .
To indict Trump , it cites his clear condemnation of white supremacist groups , which media spun into the “ very fine people ” hoax .
In fact , there is zero evidence that Trump has ever embraced any white nationalist figure or group .
But as late as 2019 , Joe Biden was lauding for his “ civility ” the old segregationist Senator John Eastland , who publicly fantasized about anti-black genocide .
Here the bishops and Catholic Voters Guide examine the environmental policies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favorably for demanding that the U.S. rejoin the failed Paris Accords to fight climate change , signing on to the Green New Deal , and promising to phase out fossil fuels .
And they slam Trump for rejecting all three .
We don ’ t have space here to explain the catastrophic costs to the poorest people on earth of abandoning safe , cheap , reliable energy sources in favor of costly , unproven “ green ” boondoggles .
But we direct the reader to the Cornwall Alliance ’ s extensive research on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online communications .
The Catholic Voters Guide rightly criticizes Biden for opposing any controls on Internet porn , and notes that Trump ’ s stance is “ inconclusive.
” More important , in light of the recent media blackout imposed by networks and social media companies of dissenting views , is this : Would either candidate force massive international media companies to abide by free speech and fairness , as the price of doing business ?
Donald Trump has promised to address this in a second term , stripping social media companies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platforms ” if they insist on censoring and skewing content .
Here we find a wishlist of policies whose wisdom and usefulness are all up for argument .
The men with M.A.s in Pastoral Theology at the bishops conference know rather less about how to generate wealth than your average plumber .
But that won ’ t stop them from wading in with moralizing advice .
Biden earns higher marks for “ Alleviation of Global Poverty through increased development aid.
” But does foreign aid really help alleviate poverty , when your environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wins praise for “ Equitable Trade Policies , ” which assumes that deals globalizing all trade , at the cost of American workers , are morally mandatory .
Again , the laurel goes to Biden for “ Political and Financial support to the United Nations Programs and Reforms.
” You remember the United Nations , that multinational club where Sudan and China get to run committees on human rights , and small committees of bureaucrats demand legal abortion around the world .
Biden wants to hand it more money and power .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge .
Neither candidate , Biden nor Trump , wins the bishops ’ fan club approval for arranging a peace between the Palestinians and Israel .
Because that ’ s apparently impossible .
It might have been nice if the Catholic Voters Guide had bothered to notice all the peace deals which the Trump administration has organized between Israel and its longtime enemies in the region .
But perhaps that ’ s expecting too much .
There is no good reason for a Catholic , a Christian , or even a monotheist to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only excuses .
As we wrote in Part I of this series , if one candidate in this race favored reimposing black slavery in America , and the other opposed it , no other issues could counterbalance that evil .
Plug in “ abortion ” for “ slavery ” and you have the 2020 election .
Joe Biden ’ s pro-abortion stance could not be more extreme .
He has abandoned every hedge , restraint , or trace of past reluctance on the subject .
He is now the abortion candidate .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , energetic , competent and principled candidate in every other way , there would be no case for voting for him .
But of course he isn ’ t .
He ’ s a one-man crime wave eye-deep in corrupt deals with foreign tyrants and oligarchs .
Only someone desperate for money from government programs he promises to inflate , or keen on dismantling America as a nation , could support him at this point .
Jason Jones is a senior contributor to The Stream .
He is a film producer , author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can follow him @ TGCWithJason .
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 .
Together , Jones and Zmirak wrote The Race to Save Our Century .

This is the final installment of a six-part series. See Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V.
We’ve worked our way through most of the 46 issues U.S. Catholic bishops considered as important as abortion. They piled them high and deep in their own impenetrable document, and a pro-Biden Catholic group spun the list as best they could in an official-looking “Catholic Voters Guide.” There are quite a few issues left, and we’ll go through them in detail.
But to understand the stakes here, you really need to know something, and we are obliged to tell you. George Soros and his globalist buddies really, really want Joe Biden to win. So does the government of China. And so does Pope Francis, who is allied to both of the above.
Pope Francis’ Campaign Ad for Biden
That’s not just our judgment. That’s the conclusion of the former Vatican ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano. He’s the man who outed the Vatican’s cover-up of sex abuser Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Yes, the same child-molester whom Francis sent to negotiate the Vatican’s alliance with China against the West. Vigano characterized the new, Vatican-backed agitprop film about the wonders of Pope Francis, Francesco, as a “Biden campaign ad.” Watch the trailer and judge for yourself.
This is the film where Francis endorses same-sex civil unions. The director who made it also produced a slick propaganda film in support of the CIA’s coup in Ukraine, which helped make the Biden family rich via secret deals. The Vatican sponsored a gala for this film last week in its very own gardens, and gave the director a prize. Did you spot Greta Thunberg in the trailer? Pope Francis’ nasty comments about Trump “building a wall”? This is slick, sick stuff designed to move the needle for Joe Biden, now, before it’s too late.
Surrender Your Rights to Elites
Read his latest 45,000-word encyclical. Francis has clearly aligned the Church behind global leftists who oppose national sovereignty, border control, free markets, fossil fuels, gun rights, and other traditional Western freedoms. He’s on board with those weaponizing a virus with a very low death rate to embark on a Great Reset, stripping us of most of the rights we were born with in the name of … “safety.” Many U.S. bishops enthusiastically follow him, while others stay timidly silent.
George Soros and his globalist buddies really, really want Joe Biden to win. So does the government of China. And so does Pope Francis.
We don’t draw paychecks from the Church. We don’t care if bishops blackball us. We’re going to speak out as Christians, Americans, and citizens against this global power grab. And we’ll do so here in our last response to the U.S. bishops’ laundry list of political issues.
Combat Unjust Discrimination
Under this category, the Catholic Voters Guide lists several related issues. It judges both candidates as roughly equal except on two questions. On both it proves misleading. The Voters Guide claims Joe Biden helps to “Combat Racism,” while Donald Trump’s commitment to doing that is “inconclusive.” As evidence in Biden’s favor, it confusingly cites his work on the 1994 crime bill (disproportionately increasing sentences on mostly black defendants) which he now claims to regret.
To indict Trump, it cites his clear condemnation of white supremacist groups, which media spun into the “very fine people” hoax. In fact, there is zero evidence that Trump has ever embraced any white nationalist figure or group. But as late as 2019, Joe Biden was lauding for his “civility” the old segregationist Senator John Eastland, who publicly fantasized about anti-black genocide.
Care for Our Common Home
Here the bishops and Catholic Voters Guide examine the environmental policies of both candidates. They judge Joe Biden favorably for demanding that the U.S. rejoin the failed Paris Accords to fight climate change, signing on to the Green New Deal, and promising to phase out fossil fuels. And they slam Trump for rejecting all three. We don’t have space here to explain the catastrophic costs to the poorest people on earth of abandoning safe, cheap, reliable energy sources in favor of costly, unproven “green” boondoggles. But we direct the reader to the Cornwall Alliance’s extensive research on these subjects.
Porn and Twitter
Here the issue is online communications. The Catholic Voters Guide rightly criticizes Biden for opposing any controls on Internet porn, and notes that Trump’s stance is “inconclusive.” More important, in light of the recent media blackout imposed by networks and social media companies of dissenting views, is this: Would either candidate force massive international media companies to abide by free speech and fairness, as the price of doing business? Donald Trump has promised to address this in a second term, stripping social media companies of the pretense that they are “neutral platforms” if they insist on censoring and skewing content.
Global Solidarity
Here we find a wishlist of policies whose wisdom and usefulness are all up for argument. The men with M.A.s in Pastoral Theology at the bishops conference know rather less about how to generate wealth than your average plumber. But that won’t stop them from wading in with moralizing advice. Biden earns higher marks for “Alleviation of Global Poverty through increased development aid.” But does foreign aid really help alleviate poverty, when your environmental policies are stifling economic growth?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Biden wins praise for “Equitable Trade Policies,” which assumes that deals globalizing all trade, at the cost of American workers, are morally mandatory.
Again, the laurel goes to Biden for “Political and Financial support to the United Nations Programs and Reforms.” You remember the United Nations, that multinational club where Sudan and China get to run committees on human rights, and small committees of bureaucrats demand legal abortion around the world. Biden wants to hand it more money and power. Trump remains a skeptic. You be the judge.
The Holy Land
Neither candidate, Biden nor Trump, wins the bishops’ fan club approval for arranging a peace between the Palestinians and Israel. Because that’s apparently impossible. It might have been nice if the Catholic Voters Guide had bothered to notice all the peace deals which the Trump administration has organized between Israel and its longtime enemies in the region. But perhaps that’s expecting too much.
Conclusion: No Excuse
There is no good reason for a Catholic, a Christian, or even a monotheist to vote for Joe Biden. There are only excuses. As we wrote in Part I of this series, if one candidate in this race favored reimposing black slavery in America, and the other opposed it, no other issues could counterbalance that evil. Plug in “abortion” for “slavery” and you have the 2020 election. Joe Biden’s pro-abortion stance could not be more extreme. He has abandoned every hedge, restraint, or trace of past reluctance on the subject. He is now the abortion candidate. Even if he were a squeaky-clean, idealistic, energetic, competent and principled candidate in every other way, there would be no case for voting for him.
But of course he isn’t. He’s a one-man crime wave eye-deep in corrupt deals with foreign tyrants and oligarchs. Only someone desperate for money from government programs he promises to inflate, or keen on dismantling America as a nation, could support him at this point.
Vote early and often.
Jason Jones is a senior contributor to The Stream. He is a film producer, author, activist and human rights worker. You can follow him @TGCWithJason.
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.
Together, Jones and Zmirak wrote The Race to Save Our Century.