thestream--2020-07-19--Report of a Surge in Covid Cases in Texas Infants is False, Official Says

A viral report of a sudden surge of coronavirus cases in infants in a single county in Texas is inaccurate , a local official said on Saturday .
On Friday , the top health official for the Corpus Christi area said at a press conference that the county currently has 85 cases of newborns with coronavirus .
“ We currently have 85 babies under the age of one year in Nueces County that have all tested positive for COVID-19 , ” Annette Rodriguez , director of public health for Corpus Christi Nueces County , said at the press conference .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their first birthday yet .
Please help us stop the spread of this disease.
” Rodriguez ’ s comments stoked widespread fear of a surge in cases in the county , while raising questions about how dozens of infants could have suddenly contracted the virus .
News outlets across the country picked up the story , including CNN , CBS News , Huffington Post , The Hill , and the Associated Press .
But Rodriguez was mistaken , according to Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales .
According to KRIS 6 News in Corpus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic several months ago .
“ On Friday , July 17 , during a press conference , a spokesperson mentioned that 85 i3nfants under the age of one had tested positive for coronavirus , ” Canales said in a statement , KRIS 6 reported .
“ This number reflects the cumulative total of positive tests for infants under the age of 1 since the beginning of testing in mid-March , which has resulted in 8,171 positive test results.
” “ Stating this number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that we had a sudden surge in infants under the age of one testing positive .
We have NOT had a sudden surge of 85 infants testing positive , ” she said .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Little is known about whether infants fare better or worse than other age groups with coronavirus .
Elderly populations are at higher risk of complications from the virus , while children and young adults typically experience mild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infants could be at higher risk than other children because of their undeveloped immune systems , though a report published by Scientific American this week said that newborns have shown more resiliency to the virus than expected .

A viral report of a sudden surge of coronavirus cases in infants in a single county in Texas is inaccurate, a local official said on Saturday.
On Friday, the top health official for the Corpus Christi area said at a press conference that the county currently has 85 cases of newborns with coronavirus.
“We currently have 85 babies under the age of one year in Nueces County that have all tested positive for COVID-19,” Annette Rodriguez, director of public health for Corpus Christi Nueces County, said at the press conference. “These babies have not even had their first birthday yet. Please help us stop the spread of this disease.”
Rodriguez’s comments stoked widespread fear of a surge in cases in the county, while raising questions about how dozens of infants could have suddenly contracted the virus.
News outlets across the country picked up the story, including CNN, CBS News, Huffington Post, The Hill, and the Associated Press.
But Rodriguez’s statement was mistaken by many, according to Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales.
According to KRIS 6 News in Corpus Christi, Canales said that 85 infants have tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic several months ago.
“On Friday, July 17, during a press conference, a spokesperson mentioned that 85 infants under the age of one had tested positive for coronavirus,” Canales said in a statement, KRIS 6 reported. “This number reflects the cumulative total of positive tests for infants under the age of 1 since the beginning of testing in mid-March, which has resulted in 8171 positive test results.”
“Stating this number during our press conference led many to believe that we had a sudden surge in infants under the age of one testing positive. We have NOT had a sudden surge of 85 infants testing positive,” she said.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Little is known about whether infants fare better or worse than other age groups with coronavirus. Elderly populations are at higher risk of complications from the virus, while children and young adults typically experience mild symptoms.
Health officials have said that infants could be at higher risk than other children because of their undeveloped immune systems, though a report published by Scientific American this week said that newborns have shown more resiliency to the virus than expected.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to more clearly reflect that Rodriguez’s report of 85 infant cases was factual but was mistaken by reporters to mean a sudden surge.
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--2020-07-19--Sin is the Problem in America, the Gospel is the Solution

Barring another unexpected calamity , the next four months will be dominated by news about Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden .
Election fever will burn hot , national divisions will run deep , and the news cycle will shift into yet another , frenzied gear .
Yet all of this will miss the point of what matters most in our society .
We must return to the gospel .
Should we get out and vote our conscience ?
Without a doubt .
Are the choices before us stark , as in the choice between democracy and mobocracy ?
I believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the November elections is that national collapse is delayed just a little bit longer .
There must be an awakening in our land , starting with massive revival in the church .
There Must Be an Awakening That means a return to the fundamentals of the gospel .
A return to personal repentance and prayer .
A return to loving God and our neighbor .
A return to preaching Jesus as the only Savior and Lord .
Anything less than that is merely putting a band-aid on a cancer patient .
As I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to vote for Trump in November , but does anyone really think that four more years of Donald Trump ( or any potential candidate on either side ) will really turn the tide in our nation ?
That ’ s why I put my ultimate focus on prayer , repentance , preaching the gospel , & revival.
” Really now , if you look at the massive problems in America today , from racial tension to a pandemic , from opioid addiction to violent crime , from fatherless homes to voiceless pulpits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Even appointing hundreds of solid judges , which is incredibly important and can have a lasting effect , is treating the symptoms more than curing the disease .
America needs deep heart surgery , and that heart surgery can only come through the gospel .
And I Mean the True Gospel But by “ the gospel ” I do not believe the American version of the gospel , the “ success in life ” version where the pastor sounds more like a life coach than a preacher .
I do not believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gospel that is sounded from pulpits across the nation , as if God is here to serve us rather than us being here to serve Him .
I do not mean the contemporary gospel of empowerment , where Jesus dies to make us into a bigger and better version of ourselves , in contrast with the biblical version , where we die with Him in order to live a new life in God .
I do not mean the “ no repentance ” gospel , whereby we continue to live sinful , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , shame , and lack of self-esteem .
( This one is especially popular with famous celebrities , for whom Jesus is really cool add-on to their already amazing lives . )
Instead , I am talking about the gospel that makes sinners uncomfortable and drives them to their knees until they have a life-changing encounter with God .
The gospel that exposes our guilt and lostness until we cry out for mercy and grace .
The gospel that warns of coming judgment so that we flee to the cross for refuge .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the church until we , too , fall on our faces confessing our sins .
I ’ m talking about the gospel that cleanses and transforms , that liberates and uplifts , the gospel that changes lives and gets to the root of society ’ s problems .
Anything less than that will not meet the crisis of the hour .
Anything less than that will fall terribly short .
This doesn ’ t mean that we abandon the political process .
It doesn ’ t mean that we don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” from our local school boards to the White House .
But it does mean that we put first things first .
It does mean we keep our priorities in order .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
That ’ s why the final chapter in my just released book Evangelicals at the Crossroads : Will We Pass the Trump Test ?
lays out a ten-fold strategy for the church today , beginning with : “ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the flag.
” As I wrote in the book , “ Throughout much of Church history , this has been easily done , since the countries in which we have lived have often been overtly hostile to our faith .
In the first centuries of the Church , as Christians were persecuted by Rome , I don ’ t believe that ‘ making Rome great ’ or ‘ keeping Rome great ’ was high on their list .
Rather , while seeking to remain obedient citizens of the empire , as much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simple and clear : We must preach the gospel .
We must win the lost .
We must make disciples .
We must extend the kingdom of God .
“ And so , as Nero was slaughtering Christians , they were not thinking to themselves , ‘ May Rome be great again !
’ They were thinking , ‘ May the people of the Roman Empire come to know Jesus !
May Nero repent and be saved !
May the kingdom of God replace the kingdom of Rome !
’ ” That remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kingdom of God coming power through the preaching and living of the gospel which will then affect every area of society .
There is no other way .
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 .

Barring another unexpected calamity, the next four months will be dominated by news about Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden. Election fever will burn hot, national divisions will run deep, and the news cycle will shift into yet another, frenzied gear. Yet all of this will miss the point of what matters most in our society. We must return to the gospel.
Are the November elections important? Absolutely.
Should we get out and vote our conscience? Without a doubt.
Are the choices before us stark, as in the choice between democracy and mobocracy? I believe so.
But the best outcome of the November elections is that national collapse is delayed just a little bit longer. There must be an awakening in our land, starting with massive revival in the church.
There Must Be an Awakening
That means a return to the fundamentals of the gospel. A return to personal repentance and prayer. A return to loving God and our neighbor. A return to preaching Jesus as the only Savior and Lord.
Anything less than that is merely putting a band-aid on a cancer patient.
As I tweeted on July 16, “I plan to vote for Trump in November, but does anyone really think that four more years of Donald Trump (or any potential candidate on either side) will really turn the tide in our nation? That’s why I put my ultimate focus on prayer, repentance, preaching the gospel, & revival.”
Really now, if you look at the massive problems in America today, from racial tension to a pandemic, from opioid addiction to violent crime, from fatherless homes to voiceless pulpits, what can a political candidate do? Even appointing hundreds of solid judges, which is incredibly important and can have a lasting effect, is treating the symptoms more than curing the disease.
America needs deep heart surgery, and that heart surgery can only come through the gospel.
And I Mean the True Gospel
But by “the gospel” I do not believe the American version of the gospel, the “success in life” version where the pastor sounds more like a life coach than a preacher.
I do not believe the “me first” version of the gospel that is sounded from pulpits across the nation, as if God is here to serve us rather than us being here to serve Him.
I do not mean the contemporary gospel of empowerment, where Jesus dies to make us into a bigger and better version of ourselves, in contrast with the biblical version, where we die with Him in order to live a new life in God.
I do not mean the “no repentance” gospel, whereby we continue to live sinful, compromised lives while getting rid of guilt, shame, and lack of self-esteem. (This one is especially popular with famous celebrities, for whom Jesus is really cool add-on to their already amazing lives.)
Instead, I am talking about the gospel that makes sinners uncomfortable and drives them to their knees until they have a life-changing encounter with God. The gospel that exposes our guilt and lostness until we cry out for mercy and grace. The gospel that warns of coming judgment so that we flee to the cross for refuge. The gospel that exposes hypocrisy and self-righteousness in the church until we, too, fall on our faces confessing our sins.
I’m talking about the gospel that cleanses and transforms, that liberates and uplifts, the gospel that changes lives and gets to the root of society’s problems. Anything less than that will not meet the crisis of the hour. Anything less than that will fall terribly short.
First Things First
This doesn’t mean that we abandon the political process. It doesn’t mean that we don’t get involved “in the system,” from our local school boards to the White House.
But it does mean that we put first things first. It does mean we keep our priorities in order.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
That’s why the final chapter in my just released book Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test? lays out a ten-fold strategy for the church today, beginning with: “We must clearly and emphatically put the cross before the flag.”
As I wrote in the book, “Throughout much of Church history, this has been easily done, since the countries in which we have lived have often been overtly hostile to our faith. In the first centuries of the Church, as Christians were persecuted by Rome, I don’t believe that ‘making Rome great’ or ‘keeping Rome great’ was high on their list. Rather, while seeking to remain obedient citizens of the empire, as much as was possible, their focus was simple and clear: We must preach the gospel. We must win the lost. We must make disciples. We must extend the kingdom of God.
“And so, as Nero was slaughtering Christians, they were not thinking to themselves, ‘May Rome be great again!’ They were thinking, ‘May the people of the Roman Empire come to know Jesus! May Nero repent and be saved! May the kingdom of God replace the kingdom of Rome!’”
That remains the hope of our nation: the kingdom of God coming power through the preaching and living of the gospel which will then affect every area of society. There is no other way.
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--2020-07-19--New Documents Show No Doubt ‘Russia’ Collusion Was a Hoax

Going into the weekend , we ’ ve got some great new reading material to pass along that blasts to Kingdom Come any pretext of legitimacy concerning the “ Trump/Russia ” investigation .
As Sen. Lindsay Graham forecast a couple of days ago , the Senate Judiciary Committee , which he chairs , has at last obtained a couple of highly significant documents , newly declassified .
The first is a curious typewritten report by Peter Strzok on the accuracy of a New York Times story on the Trump campaign ’ s involvement with Russia .
Written February 14 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the story ) shows beyond all doubt Strzok ’ s awareness that there was no reliable evidence that the Trump campaign had had contact with Russian intelligence , in any form .
How can we be so sure of this ?
Well , the NYT had reported that “ phone records and intercepted calls ” showed that Trump campaign officials had contact with members of the Russian intelligence services .
But Strozk , in his report , said , “ This statement is misleading and inaccurate as written .
We have not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Trump team in contact with [ intelligence officers ] .
” As Zachary Evans writes in National Review , Strzok wrote this not once , not twice , but three times in his report .
Investigative reporter John Solomon , appearing with Devin Nunes and guest host Tammy Bruce on Friday ’ s Hannity , said that “ nine substantive errors ” were found in that single NYT story and that it should be retracted .
( Ha , don ’ t hold your breath .
Not that it matters ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
According to Solomon , what we ’ re now finally able to see proves that the FBI knew for months “ that everything they gave to the FISA court was wrong — EVERYTHING — and yet they never retracted it and renewed the FISA application two more times.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Nunes stressed the importance of INDICTMENTS .
( I put that in capital letters to stress the importance of indictments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not too interested in the Durham report , ” he said .
“ I would like to know everything , for the four-plus years , that went on , including even the Mueller investigation , but really what we want is … indictments .
We ’ ve made 14 criminal referrals ; we have another investigation that ’ s ongoing .
… Also , we have suspected for a very long time that Steele had maybe only two Russians , but we believe [ that ] … he didn ’ t really know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found these supposed ‘ Russians ’ and was able to use them ?
We ’ ve asked the FBI and the CIA about these Russians ; I ’ ve said for a long time we ’ re interested in two Russians — and … they have yet to allow us access to these two Russians who we now believe are living in the United States.
” All right , Director Wray , what is going on with that ?
It should be all right for Senate and congressional investigators to have access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as part of their oversight function of the FBI .
What is the holdup at this point ?
If it ’ s just that this is going to make the FBI look bad , well , sorry , that ’ s not a good enough reason .
Steele Subsource Destroyed Steele ’ s Claims , Yet FBI Still Ran With Dossier Moving on … the other document now available is the 57-page transcript of an interview with Steele ’ s primary source for the “ dossier.
” The document still contains some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports , Sen. Graham says it “ indicates the reliability of the dossier was completely destroyed ” after the interviews , which were conducted over three days in January 2017 .
In other words , over January and February of 2017 , the “ dossier ” — and , by extension , the investigation based on it — was shown without a doubt to be an outrageous farce with no evidence to back it up .
But the FBI just kept pushing .
So , of course , did the Democrats .
Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
Incidentally , there had been a hold-up in obtaining this document as well , as can be seen in this earlier report from The Daily Caller , dated June 25 .
According to The Daily Caller , the FBI had been “ refusing ” to supply the document , “ saying in response to a public records request that the information is classified and risks identifying a confidential FBI source.
” Reading their account , you can see how long and hard the tug-of-war has been to get hold of classified documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But they ’ re out now — happy reading !
Mike Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and longtime conservative commentator on issues in culture and current events .
A New York Times best-selling author , he hosts the weekly talk show Huckabee on TBN .

Going into the weekend, we’ve got some great new reading material to pass along that blasts to Kingdom Come any pretext of legitimacy concerning the “Trump/Russia” investigation.
As Sen. Lindsay Graham forecast a couple of days ago, the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he chairs, has at last obtained a couple of highly significant documents, newly declassified.
New York Times Blows It
The first is a curious typewritten report by Peter Strzok on the accuracy of a New York Times story on the Trump campaign’s involvement with Russia. Written February 14, 2017, his report (as opposed to the story) shows beyond all doubt Strzok’s awareness that there was no reliable evidence that the Trump campaign had had contact with Russian intelligence, in any form.
How can we be so sure of this? Well, the NYT had reported that “phone records and intercepted calls” showed that Trump campaign officials had contact with members of the Russian intelligence services. But Strozk, in his report, said, “This statement is misleading and inaccurate as written. We have not seen any evidence of any individuals affiliated with the Trump team in contact with [intelligence officers].”
As Zachary Evans writes in National Review, Strzok wrote this not once, not twice, but three times in his report.
Investigative reporter John Solomon, appearing with Devin Nunes and guest host Tammy Bruce on Friday’s Hannity, said that “nine substantive errors” were found in that single NYT story and that it should be retracted. (Ha, don’t hold your breath. Not that it matters; the damage was done at the time.) According to Solomon, what we’re now finally able to see proves that the FBI knew for months “that everything they gave to the FISA court was wrong — EVERYTHING — and yet they never retracted it and renewed the FISA application two more times.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Nunes stressed the importance of INDICTMENTS. (I put that in capital letters to stress the importance of indictments myself.) “I’m not too interested in the Durham report,” he said. “I would like to know everything, for the four-plus years, that went on, including even the Mueller investigation, but really what we want is … indictments. We’ve made 14 criminal referrals; we have another investigation that’s ongoing. … Also, we have suspected for a very long time that Steele had maybe only two Russians, but we believe [that] … he didn’t really know them. How was it that Steele found these supposed ‘Russians’ and was able to use them? We’ve asked the FBI and the CIA about these Russians; I’ve said for a long time we’re interested in two Russians — and … they have yet to allow us access to these two Russians who we now believe are living in the United States.”
All right, Director Wray, what is going on with that? It should be all right for Senate and congressional investigators to have access to the whole cast of characters by now, as part of their oversight function of the FBI. What is the holdup at this point? If it’s just that this is going to make the FBI look bad, well, sorry, that’s not a good enough reason.
Steele Subsource Destroyed Steele’s Claims, Yet FBI Still Ran With Dossier
Moving on … the other document now available is the 57-page transcript of an interview with Steele’s primary source for the “dossier.” The document still contains some redactions, but as The Daily Caller reports, Sen. Graham says it “indicates the reliability of the dossier was completely destroyed” after the interviews, which were conducted over three days in January 2017.
In other words, over January and February of 2017, the “dossier” — and, by extension, the investigation based on it — was shown without a doubt to be an outrageous farce with no evidence to back it up. But the FBI just kept pushing. So, of course, did the Democrats. Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel in mid-May!
Incidentally, there had been a hold-up in obtaining this document as well, as can be seen in this earlier report from The Daily Caller, dated June 25.
According to The Daily Caller, the FBI had been “refusing” to supply the document, “saying in response to a public records request that the information is classified and risks identifying a confidential FBI source.” Reading their account, you can see how long and hard the tug-of-war has been to get hold of classified documents that tell the tale of this hoax.
But they’re out now — happy reading!
Mike Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and longtime conservative commentator on issues in culture and current events. A New York Times best-selling author, he hosts the weekly talk show Huckabee on TBN.
Originally published at MikeHuckabee.com. Reprinted with permission.


thestream--2020-07-19--Cancel Thy Fathers. Judge Now, Before You Get Judged

In my last column I channeled “ Wokethug , ” the Principality or Power who ’ s coaching both the white racist fringe and our “ Anti-Racist ” elites .
Since today I want to unfold more of the playbook which he ’ s using , I ’ m tempted to cast it in his words again , rather than mine .
But a little bit of C.S .
Lewis-pastiche goes a very long way .
No one today writes half as well as Lewis did .
The longer you go on trying , the more you risk embarrassing yourself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m equally blunt this time , without wearing Wokethug ’ s mask .
Wokethug ’ s a busy fellow , managing all his marionettes on millions of tiny strings in a vast centripetal spider ’ s web .
He squats at the center and grins .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Through most of our major media , the actions of Caesar and Mammon , and the mouths of countless pastors , he hammers home his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with all the relentless patience of a tireless , bodiless spirit .
And too often we mindlessly or wearily assimilate his lessons .
It takes so much mental energy to fend off all of them , like constantly swimming upstream .
Dear God , I ’ m exhausted .
Aren ’ t you ?
The lies we swat at today mostly aren ’ t pagan , or openly atheist .
They ’ re infinitely worse .
Wokethug isn ’ t merely exaggerating or hijacking our natural , inborn impulses .
Those are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s not a winning strategy , in the wake of the Redemption .
The vast and numinous truths our forefathers learned , and passed along to us via the Church , are sufficient to warn us away from worshiping rocks and trees .
The evils we face today will always be post-Christian evils , more powerful and perverted .
Instead he seizes , mutates and releases as cancers genuine elements of the Gospel .
These supernatural precepts partake of the Infinite , as tumors do of our very own DNA .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ kill .
They slip past our defenses , reach out their hands in friendship , then give us the Judas kiss .
Wokethug twists the Scriptures against themselves , as Satan did in the desert .
We need the same Lord who rebuked him to step in and save us .
All the knowledge we ’ ve acquired , the arguments we ’ ve polished , the powers we ’ ve tried to sanctify to His service … it finally will fail us .
Perhaps that ’ s the lesson we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God ’ s allowing all this .
( I really don ’ t know .
I ’ m looking for a silver lining here . )
I ’ m writing all this by way of recommending an excellent book on church history , written by a German Catholic scholar .
The Scandal of the Scandals is a highly readable , well-documented study .
It addresses the common objections to Christian faith based on the sins of Christians through history .
Read it and you ’ ll be shocked at how exaggerated , distorted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the charges made against the Christian faith in general , and the Catholic church in particular .
Many things Protestants think they know about the Catholic church were in fact propaganda , invented by atheists whose real target was Jesus .
They used sectarian differences to plant in the culture time-bombs that finally would destroy the Gospel itself .
The author first establishes how our current claims to human rights , freedom , and dignity come from nowhere , if not the Church .
He shows how the pagan world knew nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand the terms .
It made no pretense of caring about the weak or the marginalized .
Not even the greatest philosophers , whose insights we still need today , gave a fig about the male slaves who worked his fields , or the slave girls who manned the brothels .
It was only the coming of Christ that spread these Jewish concerns to the pagans .
Every objection to Christian imperfections or hypocrisy — to slavery , crusades , religious persecution or clerical bullying — grows out of Christian ethics .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who dig up ancient or medieval crimes to undermine Christian claims owe their outrage at such abuses … to a worldview that grew from the Gospel .
Abandon that , and there ’ s really no cogent reason to apologize to anyone for anything.Not slavery , not genocide , not rape or even ( cue the spooky music ) … racism .
Should mammals mourn the dinosaurs ?
Do we owe reparations to descendants of the Neanderthals our ancestors wiped out ?
The Nazis had this epiphany .
And put it into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that fact , more than the Holocaust , is why Nazi evil repels people today , while Communist crimes on a far grander scale elicit a yawn .
People are desperate to keep digging up the Nazis and hang them all over again , for one reason only .
They have no good secular arguments against what the Nazis did .
The Church ’ s enemies can ’ t face the grim bleak nature of Nature , red in tooth and claw .
But they don ’ t want the yoke of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their sex lives .
So when Wokethug spits out his doses of post-Christian cancer , they consume it like hungry chicks .
They demand human dignity , and a world of equality , justice , and compassion .
But they want all that based on natural selection and the survival of the fittest .
Yeah , and I want a 1927 Bentley made of Belgian chocolate that flies .
So we see the mobs attacking statues of Columbus .
( Note that none of them propose giving their own homes to Native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it ’ s virtuous to dishonor our fathers .
We ought to whip up our outrage at the sins , imperfections , or ignorance of the dead .
We should step forth and accuse them , with the aid of the Accuser .
If they don ’ t live up to the standards it took 2020 years since the birth of Christ to develop , we ’ re positively virtuous if we pull them down or smash them .
Resist , and you take on all the sins of those you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you won ’ t get judged .
Nobody Gets to Judge You At all costs , never let the thought run through your head , “ How would this person judge me ?
” Never wonder if the comfortable life you lead , the short hours you work , the wealth you take for granted , would shock your recent ancestors .
Never cut them any slack for living in a world without cheap Chinese imports made by Uighur slaves , antibiotics , AZT , Novocain , and easy abortions .
They don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nobody does .
But of course , at the End , Somebody will .
Wokethug would prefer you forgot that till it ’ s too late .
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 .

In my last column I channeled “Wokethug,” the Principality or Power who’s coaching both the white racist fringe and our “Anti-Racist” elites. Since today I want to unfold more of the playbook which he’s using, I’m tempted to cast it in his words again, rather than mine. But a little bit of C.S. Lewis-pastiche goes a very long way. No one today writes half as well as Lewis did. The longer you go on trying, the more you risk embarrassing yourself. So pardon me if I’m equally blunt this time, without wearing Wokethug’s mask.
Wokethug’s a busy fellow, managing all his marionettes on millions of tiny strings in a vast centripetal spider’s web. He squats at the center and grins.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Through most of our major media, the actions of Caesar and Mammon, and the mouths of countless pastors, he hammers home his catechism. He’s teaching us, with all the relentless patience of a tireless, bodiless spirit. And too often we mindlessly or wearily assimilate his lessons. It takes so much mental energy to fend off all of them, like constantly swimming upstream. Dear God, I’m exhausted. Aren’t you?
Post-Christian Cancers
The lies we swat at today mostly aren’t pagan, or openly atheist. They’re infinitely worse. Wokethug isn’t merely exaggerating or hijacking our natural, inborn impulses. Those are merely finite, God-given but fallen. That’s not a winning strategy, in the wake of the Redemption. The vast and numinous truths our forefathers learned, and passed along to us via the Church, are sufficient to warn us away from worshiping rocks and trees. The evils we face today will always be post-Christian evils, more powerful and perverted.
Instead he seizes, mutates and releases as cancers genuine elements of the Gospel. These supernatural precepts partake of the Infinite, as tumors do of our very own DNA. That makes them deadlier, harder to kill. They slip past our defenses, reach out their hands in friendship, then give us the Judas kiss.
Wokethug twists the Scriptures against themselves, as Satan did in the desert. We need the same Lord who rebuked him to step in and save us. All the knowledge we’ve acquired, the arguments we’ve polished, the powers we’ve tried to sanctify to His service … it finally will fail us. Perhaps that’s the lesson we’re meant to learn, which is why God’s allowing all this. (I really don’t know. I’m looking for a silver lining here.)
Unbelievers’ Favorite Stones to Throw
I’m writing all this by way of recommending an excellent book on church history, written by a German Catholic scholar. The Scandal of the Scandals is a highly readable, well-documented study. It addresses the common objections to Christian faith based on the sins of Christians through history. Read it and you’ll be shocked at how exaggerated, distorted, and sometimes outright invented are many of the charges made against the Christian faith in general, and the Catholic church in particular. Many things Protestants think they know about the Catholic church were in fact propaganda, invented by atheists whose real target was Jesus. They used sectarian differences to plant in the culture time-bombs that finally would destroy the Gospel itself.
The author first establishes how our current claims to human rights, freedom, and dignity come from nowhere, if not the Church. He shows how the pagan world knew nothing of equality or liberty, as we understand the terms. It made no pretense of caring about the weak or the marginalized. Not even the greatest philosophers, whose insights we still need today, gave a fig about the male slaves who worked his fields, or the slave girls who manned the brothels.
It was only the coming of Christ that spread these Jewish concerns to the pagans. Every objection to Christian imperfections or hypocrisy — to slavery, crusades, religious persecution or clerical bullying — grows out of Christian ethics. And nothing else.
Slavery, Genocide … Yawn
Meanwhile, the very people who dig up ancient or medieval crimes to undermine Christian claims owe their outrage at such abuses … to a worldview that grew from the Gospel. Abandon that, and there’s really no cogent reason to apologize to anyone for anything.Not slavery, not genocide, not rape or even (cue the spooky music) … racism.
Replace Christ with Darwin, and there’s really no cogent reason to apologize to anyone for anything. Not slavery, not genocide, not rape or even … racism.
Should mammals mourn the dinosaurs? Do we owe reparations to descendants of the Neanderthals our ancestors wiped out? The Nazis had this epiphany. And put it into action with grim consistency. I think that fact, more than the Holocaust, is why Nazi evil repels people today, while Communist crimes on a far grander scale elicit a yawn. People are desperate to keep digging up the Nazis and hang them all over again, for one reason only. They have no good secular arguments against what the Nazis did.
The Woke, Post-Christian Tumor
The Church’s enemies can’t face the grim bleak nature of Nature, red in tooth and claw. But they don’t want the yoke of the Gospel, which gets in the way of their sex lives. So when Wokethug spits out his doses of post-Christian cancer, they consume it like hungry chicks. They demand human dignity, and a world of equality, justice, and compassion. But they want all that based on natural selection and the survival of the fittest. Yeah, and I want a 1927 Bentley made of Belgian chocolate that flies.
So we see the mobs attacking statues of Columbus. (Note that none of them propose giving their own homes to Native Americans.) Wokethug has taught them that it’s virtuous to dishonor our fathers. We ought to whip up our outrage at the sins, imperfections, or ignorance of the dead. We should step forth and accuse them, with the aid of the Accuser. If they don’t live up to the standards it took 2020 years since the birth of Christ to develop, we’re positively virtuous if we pull them down or smash them. Resist, and you take on all the sins of those you’re defending. Judge quick, so you won’t get judged.
Nobody Gets to Judge You
At all costs, never let the thought run through your head, “How would this person judge me?” Never wonder if the comfortable life you lead, the short hours you work, the wealth you take for granted, would shock your recent ancestors. Never cut them any slack for living in a world without cheap Chinese imports made by Uighur slaves, antibiotics, AZT, Novocain, and easy abortions. They don’t get to judge you. Nobody does.
But of course, at the End, Somebody will. Wokethug would prefer you forgot that till it’s too late.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism.


thestream--2020-07-19--‘The Lord Our God Hath Shewd Us His Glory’

“ The Lord our God hath shewed us his glory ” ( Deuteronomy 5:24 ) God ’ s great design in all his works is the manifestation of his own glory .
Any aim less than this were unworthy of himself .
But how shall the glory of God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are ?
Man ’ s eye is not single , he has ever a side glance towards his own honour , has too high an estimate of his own powers , and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that self must stand out of the way , that there may be room for God to be exalted ; and this is the reason why he bringeth his people ofttimes into straits and difficulties , that , being made conscious of their own folly and weakness , they may be fitted to behold the majesty of God when he comes forth to work their deliverance .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
He whose life is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see but little of the glory of the Lord , for he has few occasions of self-emptying , and hence , but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God .
They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks , know but little of the God of tempests ; but they who “ do business in great waters , ” these see his “ wonders in the deep.
” Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement , poverty , temptation , and reproach , we learn the power of Jehovah , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thank God , then , if you have been led by a rough road : it is this which has given you your experience of God ’ s greatness and lovingkindness .
Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means : your trials have been the cleft of the rock in which Jehovah has set you , as he did his servant Moses , that you might behold his glory as it passed by .
Praise God that you have not been left to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might have involved , but that in the great fight of affliction , you have been capacitated for the outshinings of his glory in his wonderful dealings with you .

“The Lord our God hath shewed us his glory” (Deuteronomy 5:24)
God’s great design in all his works is the manifestation of his own glory. Any aim less than this were unworthy of himself.
But how shall the glory of God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are? Man’s eye is not single, he has ever a side glance towards his own honour, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord.
It is clear, then, that self must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted; and this is the reason why he bringeth his people ofttimes into straits and difficulties, that, being made conscious of their own folly and weakness, they may be fitted to behold the majesty of God when he comes forth to work their deliverance.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
He whose life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of the glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying, and hence, but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks, know but little of the God of tempests; but they who “do business in great waters,” these see his “wonders in the deep.” Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man.
Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough road: it is this which has given you your experience of God’s greatness and lovingkindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: your trials have been the cleft of the rock in which Jehovah has set you, as he did his servant Moses, that you might behold his glory as it passed by.
Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance which continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings of his glory in his wonderful dealings with you.


thestream--2020-07-19--New York Times Stands By Report of Trump-Russia Communications Despite FBI Memo Debunking Article

The New York Times is standing by a February 2017 report alleging that Trump associates were in communication with Russian intelligence officers , even after the release of an internal FBI memo that identified numerous inaccuracies in the story .
“ We stand by our reporting , ” New York Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy told her own paper for its report on the newly released documents .
Attorney General William Barr declassified two documents this week related to the FBI ’ s investigation of the Trump campaign .
One released Friday is a 57-page memo of interviews that dossier author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the FBI in January 2017 .
The second is former FBI official Peter Strzok ’ s annotation of a Feb. 14 , 2017 , report that said four American officials claimed that authorities had intercepted communications and call logs of Trump advisers speaking with Russian intelligence .
“ This statement is inaccurate and misleading as written , ” Strzok wrote in reference to opening paragraph of the Times story .
“ We have not seen evidence of any individuals affiliated with the Trump team in contact with [ Intelligence Officers ] .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lead investigator on Crossfire Hurricane , the name for the Trump-Russia probe , poured cold water on other aspects of the Times report , including that investigators were sifting through a vast trove of call records and that Trump confidant Roger Stone was under investigation at the time .
The Times story advanced the prevailing narrative at the time that the Trump campaign may have conspired with the Kremlin to influence the 2016 election .
The story also hit a day after Michael Flynn resigned as national security adviser because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December 2016 .
Strzok was aware of those calls because the FBI obtained a transcript of them through surveillance of Kislyak .
Investigators ultimately found no evidence of collusion between Trump associates and the Russian government .
Special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s report did not make any reference to communications in 2016 between any Trump associates and Russian intelligence operatives .
Murphy , the Times spokeswoman , did not go into detail about why the paper is sticking by the story in light of the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
The Times has recently come under scrutiny for two other reports regarding Russia .
The paper reported on June 26 that President Donald Trump was briefed in March on intelligence that Russian intelligence operatives were paying Taliban fighters to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan .
The White House vehemently denied that Trump was told about the intelligence .
Three days later , the Times reported that the intelligence was included in a written briefing book and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was verbally communicated to Trump .
The Times reported on Feb. 20 that an intelligence community official told Congress that the Russian government was interfering in the ongoing presidential campaign to help Trump .
Other news outlets , including CNN , reported that the initial report was garbled , and that the intelligence community official “ mischaracterized ” the intelligence during her briefing to Congress .

The New York Times is standing by a February 2017 report alleging that Trump associates were in communication with Russian intelligence officers, even after the release of an internal FBI memo that identified numerous inaccuracies in the story.
“We stand by our reporting,” New York Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy told her own paper for its report on the newly released documents.
Attorney General William Barr declassified two documents this week related to the FBI’s investigation of the Trump campaign. One released Friday is a 57-page memo of interviews that dossier author Christopher Steele’s primary source conducted with the FBI in January 2017.
The second is former FBI official Peter Strzok’s annotation of a Feb. 14, 2017, report that said four American officials claimed that authorities had intercepted communications and call logs of Trump advisers speaking with Russian intelligence.
“This statement is inaccurate and misleading as written,” Strzok wrote in reference to opening paragraph of the Times story. “We have not seen evidence of any individuals affiliated with the Trump team in contact with [Intelligence Officers].”
Strzok, who was the FBI’s lead investigator on Crossfire Hurricane, the name for the Trump-Russia probe, poured cold water on other aspects of the Times report, including that investigators were sifting through a vast trove of call records and that Trump confidant Roger Stone was under investigation at the time.
The Times story advanced the prevailing narrative at the time that the Trump campaign may have conspired with the Kremlin to influence the 2016 election. The story also hit a day after Michael Flynn resigned as national security adviser because of a scandal involving phone calls he had with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December 2016.
Strzok was aware of those calls because the FBI obtained a transcript of them through surveillance of Kislyak.
Investigators ultimately found no evidence of collusion between Trump associates and the Russian government. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s report did not make any reference to communications in 2016 between any Trump associates and Russian intelligence operatives.
Murphy, the Times spokeswoman, did not go into detail about why the paper is sticking by the story in light of the new memo.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
The Times has recently come under scrutiny for two other reports regarding Russia.
The paper reported on June 26 that President Donald Trump was briefed in March on intelligence that Russian intelligence operatives were paying Taliban fighters to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The White House vehemently denied that Trump was told about the intelligence.
Three days later, the Times reported that the intelligence was included in a written briefing book and that it was unclear whether the information was verbally communicated to Trump.
The Times reported on Feb. 20 that an intelligence community official told Congress that the Russian government was interfering in the ongoing presidential campaign to help Trump. Other news outlets, including CNN, reported that the initial report was garbled, and that the intelligence community official “mischaracterized” the intelligence during her briefing to Congress.
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--2020-07-20--In America, the System Bends Towards Justice

“ The arc of the moral universe is long , but it bends toward justice.
” This oft-repeated and commonly misused quote — which stems from a 19th-century sermon — was cited by Martin Luther King Jr. and , more recently , President Barack Obama .
Many take it to mean simply that there is an inevitability to world events and that we should seek to be on the right side of history , so to speak .
In these days , when seemingly all of American and Western history has come into question , it ’ s easy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history to condemn the whole .
Perhaps we can reach our perfect future if only we purge the ugliness of the past and dispense with all the dissenters who stand in the way , this line of thinking goes .
One of the great problems with our current “ war on history ” is how much of America and its Western civilizational origins now are defined as uniquely bad in comparison to the rest of the world .
Taking what other people have is essentially the norm through almost all of human history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ societies have had no qualms about taking from others if they were strong enough .
Recently , Sen. Tim Kaine , D-Va. , actually said on the Senate floor that America “ created ” slavery , a ridiculous and utterly false contention .
Such gibes and attacks on America are becoming tediously common .
In a sense , our view of history is skewed by our own success .
So many Americans have enjoyed such enormous prosperity that when we find flaws and failures , especially in a past that often seems so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasingly is to condemn it as fundamentally rotten , the people irredeemable .
Many Americans now have distorted notions of what should and shouldn ’ t be , and how the world generally has operated .
In America , we lurch toward justice because we have a just system , or at least a system that allows for justice and the truth to succeed in a sea of uncertainty , falsehoods , and injustice .
For that we should be thankful because this development certainly was not inevitable .
Just look , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second country in the New World to declare independence , after the United States .
Haiti , like the U.S. , was born in revolution .
In 1791 , a slave uprising toppled French authorities in Saint Dominique — later renamed Haiti — and brought an end to colonial rule .
It was one of history ’ s rare cases of a slave uprising succeeding .
The rebellion was led by Toussaint L ’ Ouverture , a black former slave turned revolutionary , and was imbued with the Jacobin spirit driving the concurrent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Haiti was known as the “ Pearl of the Caribbean ” due to its immense wealth and beauty .
In many ways , it was wealthier than the newly created United States .
From there , the two countries ’ paths diverged .
L ’ Ouverture was the George Washington of Haiti .
Like Washington , he was a great general and impressive leader of men .
And perhaps surprisingly enough , he had been a slave owner .
After leading his new country in victory over the British empire , Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his position as commander in chief of the Continental Army when his job was done .
Then , after serving his country as the first elected president under the Constitution , Washington again returned to civilian life .
In 1801 , Thomas Jefferson succeeded John Adams to become the third president of the United States , marking the first time in recorded history where one “ party ” replaced another in power without a resort to bloodshed .
In America , appealing to ballots instead of bullets would become the norm .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Constitution and culture of self-government .
Also in 1801 , L ’ Ouverture made himself dictator for life in Haiti , with the ability to appoint his successor .
After seizing power , L ’ Ouverture re-implemented a system that mirrored slavery in all but name .
He even restored the importation of slaves from Africa shortly after banning the practice .
Here was a man , a black man , who had tasted the bitter tears of slavery and led a slave rebellion , yet ushered in a new form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s wealth and power .
L ’ Ouverture was not , as one New York Times writer noted , an “ abolitionist saint.
” Instead , he was a desperate leader of a beleaguered nation , searching for a way to sustain its independence in a hostile world while maintaining his grip on power .
He was captured by the French military in 1802 and replaced by his lieutenant , Jean-Jacques Dessalines .
Dessalines then made the fateful decision in 1804 to murder the island ’ s white inhabitants , in one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world .
Despite the fact that , following this massacre , nearly all of the island ’ s remaining inhabitants were black or mixed race , racial prejudice remained widespread and racial distinctions were systematized .
“ Blacks and mulattos , who had both been victims of race prejudice in colonial times , now became perpetrators , as long-standing grudges led each group to eye the other , and foreign whites , with suspicion , ” wrote historian Philippe Girard in his book , Haiti : The Tumultuous History—From Pearl of the Caribbean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
The most ruthless form of “ social justice , ” genocide , led not to equality and liberty , but an ongoing cycle of vengeance , recriminations , and hostility .
Haiti became isolated and avoided because of its inability to protect the lives and property of citizens and outsiders .
In two centuries , it stumbled through countless regime changes , civil wars , and more genocides .
The Pearl of the Caribbean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rivaled the United States at its founding — became the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere .
But what of the United States ?
Despite the fact that slavery existed at the time of the founding , the institution held an untenable position in a country based on the words of the Declaration of Independence , crafted by a slave owner , that “ all men are created equal ” and endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights .
The Constitution , which intentionally never mentions slavery by name , provided the means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventually emancipation could be realized .
And they were .
The American system may look messy , especially to outsiders , but it has an incredible way of succeeding through the muck of ordinary politics and the failures of fallen human beings .
Out of a deeply imperfect world , Americans have forged a more perfect union , as Abraham Lincoln called it .
This was carried out through our system of limited self-government .
It was embedded in the culture that produced a Washington , a man who was tireless in devotion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , humbly returned to civilian life when his duty was done .
It was a system built on the rule of law , debate , and deliberation .
There are some who would say that perhaps it is time to stop celebrating our imperfect past and its imperfect heroes .
But America was not built by abstractions or gods .
It was created by men and women created in the image of God , but fallen from grace .
America became great , and not simply because of the Constitution and the Declaration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this country as they are .
No , it was built from that foundation by generations of men and women committed to government of the people , by the people , and for the people .
It was sustained by countless Americans who stepped into the arena , who have clung to , defended , and advanced what began in 1776 .
The fact that our Founders , like Washington and Jefferson , were imperfect men who owned slaves should not lead to damnation of their life ’ s work , but hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abolished an unjust institution that it was born with .
Flawed people can be great , and so can flawed nations .
Once in our history that system broke down .
We were fortunate enough to have a president committed both to ending slavery and ultimately to restoring both the union and the Constitution .
As countless other revolutions devolved into anarchy , violence , and then tyranny , the American republic rose and gained strength .
It transformed from a colonial backwater at the edge of the world to a mighty empire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where people — of almost all races and backgrounds – strive to get in rather than claw to get out .
The history of human affairs is not a place where one finds lasting liberty and justice for all .
Cruelty and deprivation are the norms of life on this earth .
We are all the descendants of slavers and the enslaved .
But in America , we ’ ve managed to escape the wheel of history , we ’ ve managed to create a system that “ bends toward justice ” rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of depravity .
In this moment in which so many are committed to rewriting and purifying our past , committed to tearing it down in the name of social justice , it ’ s important to reflect on the undeniable success this country has achieved in such a short time .
America always has been great , and it can be greater still , as long as we don ’ t abandon the good things that brought us here .
Jarrett Stepman is a contributor to The Daily Signal and co-host of The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an email to Jarrett .
He is also the author of the new book , “ The War on History : The Conspiracy to Rewrite America ’ s Past .
”

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
This oft-repeated and commonly misused quote — which stems from a 19th-century sermon — was cited by Martin Luther King Jr. and, more recently, President Barack Obama.
Many take it to mean simply that there is an inevitability to world events and that we should seek to be on the right side of history, so to speak.
In these days, when seemingly all of American and Western history has come into question, it’s easy to focus on the individual sins of our history to condemn the whole.
Perhaps we can reach our perfect future if only we purge the ugliness of the past and dispense with all the dissenters who stand in the way, this line of thinking goes.
One of the great problems with our current “war on history” is how much of America and its Western civilizational origins now are defined as uniquely bad in comparison to the rest of the world.
Case in point: a recent tweet by liberal astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.
European Colonial History in six words: “Is that yours? It’s mine now.” — Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) July 11, 2020
Taking what other people have is essentially the norm through almost all of human history. Most, if not all, societies have had no qualms about taking from others if they were strong enough.
Recently, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., actually said on the Senate floor that America “created” slavery, a ridiculous and utterly false contention.
Such gibes and attacks on America are becoming tediously common.
Distorted Notions
In a sense, our view of history is skewed by our own success.
So many Americans have enjoyed such enormous prosperity that when we find flaws and failures, especially in a past that often seems so alien to our world, our instinct increasingly is to condemn it as fundamentally rotten, the people irredeemable.
In America, we lurch toward justice because we have a just system, or at least a system that allows for justice and the truth to succeed in a sea of uncertainty, falsehoods, and injustice.
Many Americans now have distorted notions of what should and shouldn’t be, and how the world generally has operated.
In America, we lurch toward justice because we have a just system, or at least a system that allows for justice and the truth to succeed in a sea of uncertainty, falsehoods, and injustice.
For that we should be thankful because this development certainly was not inevitable.
Just look, for instance, at the history of the second country in the New World to declare independence, after the United States.
Haiti, like the U.S., was born in revolution. In 1791, a slave uprising toppled French authorities in Saint Dominique — later renamed Haiti — and brought an end to colonial rule. It was one of history’s rare cases of a slave uprising succeeding.
The rebellion was led by Toussaint L’Ouverture, a black former slave turned revolutionary, and was imbued with the Jacobin spirit driving the concurrent revolution in France.
Before the revolution, Haiti was known as the “Pearl of the Caribbean” due to its immense wealth and beauty. In many ways, it was wealthier than the newly created United States.
Ballots, Not Bullets
From there, the two countries’ paths diverged.
L’Ouverture was the George Washington of Haiti. Like Washington, he was a great general and impressive leader of men. And perhaps surprisingly enough, he had been a slave owner.
After leading his new country in victory over the British empire, Washington famously stepped away from power and resigned his position as commander in chief of the Continental Army when his job was done.
Then, after serving his country as the first elected president under the Constitution, Washington again returned to civilian life.
In 1801, Thomas Jefferson succeeded John Adams to become the third president of the United States, marking the first time in recorded history where one “party” replaced another in power without a resort to bloodshed.
In America, appealing to ballots instead of bullets would become the norm. It was a norm sustained by the endurance of the Constitution and culture of self-government.
Also in 1801, L’Ouverture made himself dictator for life in Haiti, with the ability to appoint his successor.
After seizing power, L’Ouverture re-implemented a system that mirrored slavery in all but name. He even restored the importation of slaves from Africa shortly after banning the practice.
Here was a man, a black man, who had tasted the bitter tears of slavery and led a slave rebellion, yet ushered in a new form of slavery to maintain his island nation’s wealth and power.
L’Ouverture was not, as one New York Times writer noted, an “abolitionist saint.”
Instead, he was a desperate leader of a beleaguered nation, searching for a way to sustain its independence in a hostile world while maintaining his grip on power.
‘Racism Cut All Ways’
L’Ouverture’s reign was short.
He was captured by the French military in 1802 and replaced by his lieutenant, Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
Dessalines then made the fateful decision in 1804 to murder the island’s white inhabitants, in one of the first genocides of the modern world.
Despite the fact that, following this massacre, nearly all of the island’s remaining inhabitants were black or mixed race, racial prejudice remained widespread and racial distinctions were systematized.
“Blacks and mulattos, who had both been victims of race prejudice in colonial times, now became perpetrators, as long-standing grudges led each group to eye the other, and foreign whites, with suspicion,” wrote historian Philippe Girard in his book, Haiti: The Tumultuous History—From Pearl of the Caribbean to Broken Nation.
“In nineteenth-century Haiti, racism cut all ways,” Girard wrote.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
The most ruthless form of “social justice,” genocide, led not to equality and liberty, but an ongoing cycle of vengeance, recriminations, and hostility.
Haiti became isolated and avoided because of its inability to protect the lives and property of citizens and outsiders. In two centuries, it stumbled through countless regime changes, civil wars, and more genocides.
The Pearl of the Caribbean – which had power and wealth that rivaled the United States at its founding — became the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
A More Perfect Union
But what of the United States?
Despite the fact that slavery existed at the time of the founding, the institution held an untenable position in a country based on the words of the Declaration of Independence, crafted by a slave owner, that “all men are created equal” and endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights.
The Constitution, which intentionally never mentions slavery by name, provided the means by which liberty, justice, and eventually emancipation could be realized. And they were.
The American system may look messy, especially to outsiders, but it has an incredible way of succeeding through the muck of ordinary politics and the failures of fallen human beings.
Out of a deeply imperfect world, Americans have forged a more perfect union, as Abraham Lincoln called it. This was carried out through our system of limited self-government. It was embedded in the culture that produced a Washington, a man who was tireless in devotion to his country and, like Cincinnatus, humbly returned to civilian life when his duty was done.
It was a system built on the rule of law, debate, and deliberation.
There are some who would say that perhaps it is time to stop celebrating our imperfect past and its imperfect heroes.
But America was not built by abstractions or gods. It was created by men and women created in the image of God, but fallen from grace. America became great, and not simply because of the Constitution and the Declaration, as much of a cornerstone to this country as they are.
No, it was built from that foundation by generations of men and women committed to government of the people, by the people, and for the people. It was sustained by countless Americans who stepped into the arena, who have clung to, defended, and advanced what began in 1776.
From Flawed to Great
The fact that our Founders, like Washington and Jefferson, were imperfect men who owned slaves should not lead to damnation of their life’s work, but hope.
Their country, through time, abolished an unjust institution that it was born with.
Flawed people can be great, and so can flawed nations.
Cruelty and deprivation are the norms of life on this earth. We are all the descendants of slavers and the enslaved.
Once in our history that system broke down. We were fortunate enough to have a president committed both to ending slavery and ultimately to restoring both the union and the Constitution.
As countless other revolutions devolved into anarchy, violence, and then tyranny, the American republic rose and gained strength. It transformed from a colonial backwater at the edge of the world to a mighty empire of liberty. It became a place where people — of almost all races and backgrounds – strive to get in rather than claw to get out.
The history of human affairs is not a place where one finds lasting liberty and justice for all. Cruelty and deprivation are the norms of life on this earth. We are all the descendants of slavers and the enslaved.
But in America, we’ve managed to escape the wheel of history, we’ve managed to create a system that “bends toward justice” rather than toward the more natural human condition of depravity.
In this moment in which so many are committed to rewriting and purifying our past, committed to tearing it down in the name of social justice, it’s important to reflect on the undeniable success this country has achieved in such a short time.
America always has been great, and it can be greater still, as long as we don’t abandon the good things that brought us here.
Jarrett Stepman is a contributor to The Daily Signal and co-host of The Right Side of History podcast. Send an email to Jarrett. He is also the author of the new book, “The War on History: The Conspiracy to Rewrite America’s Past.”
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-07-20--Churches Across the Country Attacked

Churches Across the Country Attacked

It looked like something out of a 2015 news report–a picture from ISIS , maybe , torching its way through Mosul .
But the charred pews and collapsed roof were not the work of Islamic terrorists , but America ’ s own .
Last weekend , the rioters , the same ones who wanted us to believe their cause is justice , came for our churches–using gasoline , lighters , gallons of paint , and vans to drive their message of destruction and chaos through the heart of America ’ s faithful .
It took more than 50 firefighters to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Gabriel Church , which was left nothing but a rickety frame of smoldering ash .
“ It ’ s a tragic loss for our city , ” exhausted fire chief Antonio Negrete told reporters .
“ It ’ s our city identifier.
” Now , months shy of its 250-year birthday celebration , parishioners will be digging through the rubble instead .
While Californians watched helplessly as a town symbol burned , people in Florida ’ s Queen of Peace Catholic Church were praying in the sanctuary when they heard a car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the smell of smoke clouding the entry .
Laughing about it later with police , the 23-year-old arsonist said he was on a “ mission.
” Turns out , it was a mission several radicals shared , as a wave of destruction hit as many as five more churches in 48 hours .
Even historically black congregations were targets , as Calvary Baptist in San Diego watched its building for children ’ s ministry burn to the ground after a “ suspicious ” blaze started in the attic .
In New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of two Virgin Mary statues , with words like “ IDOL ” scrawled in ugly black paint down others .
Tuesday , even a Jesus sculpture was decapitated .
Is this what it ’ s come to – blaming churches for George Floyd ’ s death ?
No , Family Research Council ’ s Ken Blackwell points out , because this was never about George Floyd to begin with .
That was all a smokescreen to exploit the mobs ’ real agenda : fundamentally transforming America .
Black Lives Matter , Antifa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re all “ trained Marxists.
” And Marxism “ has no place for God.
” Activist Jeffrey Shaun King was pretty clear about that from the get-go , implying that this was about a lot more than slavery and the Civil War .
“ All murals and stained-glass windows of white Jesus and his European mother and their white friends should also come down .
They are a gross form of white supremacy created as tools of oppression , racist propaganda.
” This isn ’ t about Jesus being white .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s about hating what Jesus and these churches represent : Truth .
This is the French Revolution Redux “ You saw this with the French Revolution , ” Eric Metaxas pointed out .
“ There was [ an abhorrence ] at the bottom of it of God , of any kind of authority .
And these people are drunk with the idea that they can somehow be an authority themselves , they can seize power… If you really want to cut to the chase , you forget about [ Confederate ] generals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God , you go right for the Virgin Mary , my goodness , you go for churches.
” If you want to know why the mainstream media isn ’ t covering these attacks — and many have wondered — it ’ s no secret .
They don ’ t want to expose this movement for what it is — a sham of racial equality and a revolt against the rule of law rooted in the transcendent truth of God .
Once that foundation for government is gone , and these zealots are coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a matter of time before America is a hollowed shell ready for transformation .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
That ’ s why Americans , especially Christians , are making a huge mistake burying their head in the sand thinking this , too , shall pass .
It will pass , all right , along with our freedoms if we don ’ t wake up to the threat .
Some mayors and leaders made the mistake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few statues , they ’ ll go quietly into the night .
That ’ s the trouble with trying to reason with extremists , Conrad Black points out .
“ They don ’ t really want to reach an agreement .
They skulked forward hiding behind the skirts of respectable reform organizations who wish equality and brotherhood in America.
” Now , our monuments aren ’ t just paying for it , but our faith communities too .
Back when ISIS marched through small Iraqi towns , destroying ancient artifacts and scared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We prided ourselves , Victor Davis Hanson says , “ on the idea that liberal societies would never descend into such nihilism.
” What a difference five years makes .
Tony Perkins is President of the Family Research Council .
He and his wife have been married for over 30 years and have five children .
Tony is also an ordained minister , as well as the host of a daily , nationally syndicated radio show , Washington Watch with Tony Perkins .

It looked like something out of a 2015 news report — a picture from ISIS, maybe, torching its way through Mosul. But the charred pews and collapsed roof were not the work of Islamic terrorists, but America’s own.
Last weekend, the rioters, the same ones who wanted us to believe their cause is justice, came for our churches — using gasoline, lighters, gallons of paint, and vans to drive their message of destruction and chaos through the heart of America’s faithful.
It took more than 50 firefighters to put out the mountain of flames at San Gabriel Church, which was left nothing but a rickety frame of smoldering ash.
“It’s a tragic loss for our city,” exhausted fire chief Antonio Negrete told reporters. “It’s our city identifier.” Now, months shy of its 250-year birthday celebration, parishioners will be digging through the rubble instead.
Even Black Churches Targeted
While Californians watched helplessly as a town symbol burned, people in Florida’s Queen of Peace Catholic Church were praying in the sanctuary when they heard a car crash through the foyer. Seconds later, the smell of smoke clouding the entry.
Laughing about it later with police, the 23-year-old arsonist said he was on a “mission.” Turns out, it was a mission several radicals shared, as a wave of destruction hit as many as five more churches in 48 hours.
Even historically black congregations were targets, as Calvary Baptist in San Diego watched its building for children’s ministry burn to the ground after a “suspicious” blaze started in the attic.
In New York City, the mobs made bonfires out of two Virgin Mary statues, with words like “IDOL” scrawled in ugly black paint down others. Tuesday, even a Jesus sculpture was decapitated.
The Anti-American Transformation of America
Is this what it’s come to — blaming churches for George Floyd’s death? No, Family Research Council’s Ken Blackwell points out, because this was never about George Floyd to begin with. That was all a smokescreen to exploit the mobs’ real agenda: fundamentally transforming America.
Black Lives Matter, Antifa, the anarchists, and vigilantes, they’re all “trained Marxists.” And Marxism “has no place for God.”
Activist Jeffrey Shaun King was pretty clear about that from the get-go, implying that this was about a lot more than slavery and the Civil War. “All murals and stained-glass windows of white Jesus and his European mother and their white friends should also come down. They are a gross form of white supremacy created as tools of oppression, racist propaganda.”
This isn’t about Jesus being white. (He wasn’t.) It’s about hating what Jesus and these churches represent: Truth.
This is the French Revolution Redux
“You saw this with the French Revolution,” Eric Metaxas pointed out. “There was [an abhorrence] at the bottom of it of God, of any kind of authority. And these people are drunk with the idea that they can somehow be an authority themselves, they can seize power … If you really want to cut to the chase, you forget about [Confederate] generals and things. You go right for God, you go right for the Virgin Mary, my goodness, you go for churches.”
If you want to know why the mainstream media isn’t covering these attacks — and many have wondered — it’s no secret. They don’t want to expose this movement for what it is — a sham of racial equality and a revolt against the rule of law rooted in the transcendent truth of God.
Once that foundation for government is gone, and these zealots are coming for it, it’s only a matter of time before America is a hollowed shell ready for transformation.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
That’s why Americans, especially Christians, are making a huge mistake burying their head in the sand thinking this, too, shall pass. It will pass, all right, along with our freedoms if we don’t wake up to the threat. Some mayors and leaders made the mistake that if we just feed the mobs a few statues, they’ll go quietly into the night.
That’s the trouble with trying to reason with extremists, Conrad Black points out. “They don’t really want to reach an agreement. They skulked forward hiding behind the skirts of respectable reform organizations who wish equality and brotherhood in America.”
Now, our monuments aren’t just paying for it, but our faith communities too.
Back when ISIS marched through small Iraqi towns, destroying ancient artifacts and scared sites, the West was appalled. We prided ourselves, Victor Davis Hanson says, “on the idea that liberal societies would never descend into such nihilism.” What a difference five years makes.
Tony Perkins is President of the Family Research Council. He and his wife have been married for over 30 years and have five children. Tony is also an ordained minister, as well as the host of a daily, nationally syndicated radio show, Washington Watch with Tony Perkins.
Originally published by Family Research Council’s Washington Update


thestream--2020-07-20--How We Beat Church-Bashing Rioters in St. Louis

As a St. Louis Catholic , I ’ ve been under attack for weeks .
So has my whole community .
The cancel mob set its sights on our history and our culture , and it seemed unstoppable .
The radical left started by smearing the reputation of the saint after whom our city is named : King Louis IX of France .
He reigned from 1226-1270 .
He was the only ruler of France so exemplary as a Christian that he won the title of “ saint.
” St. Louis was pious and prayerful from a very young age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mass in church at least once , sometimes more , each day of his life .
As king , he fought tirelessly for the poor of his kingdom .
He ended the superstitious practice of trial by ordeal , and instituted the principle of innocent until proven guilty for all citizens of France .
He founded universities , monasteries , hospitals , orphanages , houses for the poor and the blind .
St. Louis would invite the poor to eat at his royal table .
He ’ d personally serve them , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much more about this saintly king .
The evidence of his sanctity and excellence as a leader on the national and international stages is overwhelming .
The Catholic Church does not grant sainthood lightly .
It scrutinizes every aspect of a person ’ s life , and in past centuries appointed a prosecutor to look for hidden flaws .
Only those whose lives demonstrated heroic virtue , and above all a love of God and love of his fellow man , make the cut .
In the second week of June , cries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St. Louis which fronts the St. Louis Art Museum on Art Hill .
So many Catholics of the city took notice .
It is one thing to have a debate about the statues and names of various national and local heroes .
Whether you favor remove such statues or not , most agree that such decisions should rest with the public , and legal civic authorities .
The mob , of course , wanted to impose its will by force .
Various radical groups took up the cause of removing St. Louis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we found that claim that he was a “ rabid Anti-Semite who spearheaded many persecutions against the Jewish people.
” Another charge : that St. Louis was “ vehemently Islamophobic and led a murderous crusade against Muslims which ultimately cost him his life.
” Therefore , the reasoning went , a man of such intolerance and hatred for those from diverse backgrounds and faiths deserved no honor .
But removal of the statue was not enough .
These same activists called for the city of St. Louis itself to be renamed .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their homeland ’ s past , sainted king . )
They still weren ’ t finished .
Any religion that could honor such a “ vile ” individual must itself be equally triggering .
So the activists demanded all public references to Catholicism , including the names of streets , be expunged .
Anything “ Catholic ” must disappear from public view .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
We Catholics in St. Louis were stunned .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an abyss .
Our history and identity seemed headed for the Memory Hole .
Catholics in St. Louis were stunned , and paralyzed at first .
Would the statue of St. Louis come down violently , without any resistance , as happened to St. Junipero Serra in Los Angeles ?
How could we find the proper response ?
We could try using reason .
Maybe explain that such charges of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism against the saintly king are not warranted even by today ’ s standards .
Some marvelous scholarship confirmed this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could try disseminating such information to the protesters .
Good luck with that .
Any honest attempt to debate medieval history fails in the face of bullhorns and orchestrated screaming .
Some speech turns out to be freer than other speech .
An enraged mob is no place to cast pearls .
Fortunately , the Catholic faithful of St. Louis are some of the most devout and committed Catholics one could ever hope to meet .
They love their Church and will go through fire and water to protect their religious freedom .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Catholic universities , hospitals , religious foundations , monasteries , and a vibrant seminary .
So we had the spiritual resources .
We recognized the seriousness of the threat and decided to fight with the one weapon which will defeat cancel culture and the cries of the mob .
We began to do what the Church has always done in times of severe attack : Turn to heaven in prayer .
We began to show up every evening around the statue of St. Louis at 6 p.m. We would the say the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hot pavement .
We chanted medieval litanies , of the kind St. Louis himself prayed .
We carried beloved statues of heroes of our Faith .
Priests , religious , and seminarians from the archdiocese and from our local Latin Mass communities , acting on their own volition , showed up in cassocks .
Blessed Are You When Men Curse You The activists showed up in a particularly fierce way on Saturday , June 27 .
They shouted at us and insulted us .
Some wrote anti-Catholic graffiti on the ground and on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They called us evil .
The activists announced to us that , once the statue is toppled , they are going after our cathedral .
They blew bullhorns in our ears .
They tried to provoke us to engage in some form of violence which could go viral on social media .
One heroic young priest took to the microphone and addressed the activists .
He tried to explain why St. Louis was indeed a saintly man – he did an admirable job !
– but he was soon shouted down .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ three of us .
Two were diagnosed with concussions .
Perhaps the reader doesn ’ t believe “ a spirit of oppression , ” where the atmosphere feels charged with hate and danger .
Yet that spirit was what we felt and confronted .
Reports in some news outlets claimed that there were white supremacists of various kinds .
That was a lie .
They accused us of violence .
Also , a lie .
None of us raised a hand to anyone .
We fully committed ourselves to nonviolent resistance and reliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an exorcism , we remained focused .
We continued what had now become a daily practice .
Every evening , we gathered around the statue of St. Louis .
After the rosary , various litanies , hymns , and sometimes processions of Our Lady , we quietly left .
Our numbers generally increased each evening .
The numbers of the activists decreased .
There was to be one final spiritual battle .
Word went out about a so-called “ interfaith service ” on Sunday July 12 .
It would happen at the St. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. That ’ s well after the park closes .
A three-hour long interfaith service ?
It sounded very suspicious .
Other clues emerged .
The primary agitator from Saturday June 26 announced his “ security team ” would arriving around 7 p.m. That ’ s well before our Rosary would be completed .
The police had placed a series of barricades around the statue establishing a large perimeter to keep any activists at considerable difference .
Word on the street said that tonight the mob might attack the statue , not stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Over 500 Catholics , our largest crowd so far , showed up that evening to pray .
The spiritual atmosphere seemed peaceful , even joyful .
Many priests around the archdiocese of St. Louis were offering prayers at that time , in some cases with their congregations .
We peacefully left .
Not long after , about three dozen activists arrived for their prayer vigil .
Their night ended with a whimper .
Our statue of St. Louis bears a message for times such as these .
The saint grasps the sword not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He raises it to God as a gesture of peace .
We in St. Louis have done nothing but imitate what the statue of our patron symbolizes .
Let this be a model for believers around the nation whose statues , shrines , and churches are being defaced , removed , and burned .
As of this writing , the petition to take down the statue of St. Louis has stalled at 1078 signatories .
Of the two petitions to save the statue , one has 5754 signatories , another 51,877 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ two petitions are increasing by the day .
Nonetheless our fight isn ’ t over .
America needs much prayer .
We shall continue to gather at Art Hill .
And we will continue to pray for our city , our nation , and our world .

As a St. Louis Catholic, I’ve been under attack for weeks. So has my whole community. The cancel mob set its sights on our history and our culture, and it seemed unstoppable. The radical left started by smearing the reputation of the saint after whom our city is named: King Louis IX of France. He reigned from 1226-1270. He was the only ruler of France so exemplary as a Christian that he won the title of “saint.”
An Imitator of Christ
St. Louis was pious and prayerful from a very young age. Louis went off to pray at Mass in church at least once, sometimes more, each day of his life. As king, he fought tirelessly for the poor of his kingdom. He ended the superstitious practice of trial by ordeal, and instituted the principle of innocent until proven guilty for all citizens of France. He founded universities, monasteries, hospitals, orphanages, houses for the poor and the blind.
St. Louis would invite the poor to eat at his royal table. He’d personally serve them, in imitation of Christ. I could say much more about this saintly king. The evidence of his sanctity and excellence as a leader on the national and international stages is overwhelming.
The Catholic Church does not grant sainthood lightly. It scrutinizes every aspect of a person’s life, and in past centuries appointed a prosecutor to look for hidden flaws. Only those whose lives demonstrated heroic virtue, and above all a love of God and love of his fellow man, make the cut.
The Cancel Mob’s Demand: Erase Yourselves
In the second week of June, cries arose to remove the great statue of St. Louis which fronts the St. Louis Art Museum on Art Hill. So many Catholics of the city took notice. It is one thing to have a debate about the statues and names of various national and local heroes. Whether you favor remove such statues or not, most agree that such decisions should rest with the public, and legal civic authorities. The mob, of course, wanted to impose its will by force.
Various radical groups took up the cause of removing St. Louis. On one group’s website, we found that claim that he was a “rabid Anti-Semite who spearheaded many persecutions against the Jewish people.” Another charge: that St. Louis was “vehemently Islamophobic and led a murderous crusade against Muslims which ultimately cost him his life.” Therefore, the reasoning went, a man of such intolerance and hatred for those from diverse backgrounds and faiths deserved no honor.
Purge the City
But removal of the statue was not enough. These same activists called for the city of St. Louis itself to be renamed. (French explorers had named the city for their homeland’s past, sainted king.) They still weren’t finished. Any religion that could honor such a “vile” individual must itself be equally triggering. So the activists demanded all public references to Catholicism, including the names of streets, be expunged. Anything “Catholic” must disappear from public view.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
We Catholics in St. Louis were stunned. We felt like standing on the edge of an abyss. Our history and identity seemed headed for the Memory Hole.
Talk to the Bullhorn
Catholics in St. Louis were stunned, and paralyzed at first. Would the statue of St. Louis come down violently, without any resistance, as happened to St. Junipero Serra in Los Angeles? How could we find the proper response?
We could try using reason. Maybe explain that such charges of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism against the saintly king are not warranted even by today’s standards. Some marvelous scholarship confirmed this over the past thirty years. We could try disseminating such information to the protesters.
Good luck with that. Any honest attempt to debate medieval history fails in the face of bullhorns and orchestrated screaming. Some speech turns out to be freer than other speech. An enraged mob is no place to cast pearls.
Our Power Is Prayer
Fortunately, the Catholic faithful of St. Louis are some of the most devout and committed Catholics one could ever hope to meet. They love their Church and will go through fire and water to protect their religious freedom. The city still boasts strong parish communities, Catholic universities, hospitals, religious foundations, monasteries, and a vibrant seminary. So we had the spiritual resources. We recognized the seriousness of the threat and decided to fight with the one weapon which will defeat cancel culture and the cries of the mob. We began to do what the Church has always done in times of severe attack: Turn to heaven in prayer.
We began to show up every evening around the statue of St. Louis at 6 p.m. We would the say the Rosary on our knees, on the hot pavement. We chanted medieval litanies, of the kind St. Louis himself prayed. We carried beloved statues of heroes of our Faith. Priests, religious, and seminarians from the archdiocese and from our local Latin Mass communities, acting on their own volition, showed up in cassocks.
Blessed Are You When Men Curse You
The activists showed up in a particularly fierce way on Saturday, June 27. They shouted at us and insulted us. Some wrote anti-Catholic graffiti on the ground and on the plinth of St. Louis’ statue. They called us evil. The activists announced to us that, once the statue is toppled, they are going after our cathedral. They blew bullhorns in our ears. They tried to provoke us to engage in some form of violence which could go viral on social media.
One heroic young priest took to the microphone and addressed the activists. He tried to explain why St. Louis was indeed a saintly man – he did an admirable job! – but he was soon shouted down.
The only violence was an attack on three of us. Two were diagnosed with concussions. Perhaps the reader doesn’t believe “a spirit of oppression,” where the atmosphere feels charged with hate and danger. Yet that spirit was what we felt and confronted.
Reports in some news outlets claimed that there were white supremacists of various kinds. That was a lie. They accused us of violence. Also, a lie. None of us raised a hand to anyone. We fully committed ourselves to nonviolent resistance and reliance on God.
Confronting Principalities and Powers
Like a priest performing an exorcism, we remained focused. We continued what had now become a daily practice. Every evening, we gathered around the statue of St. Louis. After the rosary, various litanies, hymns, and sometimes processions of Our Lady, we quietly left. Our numbers generally increased each evening. The numbers of the activists decreased.
The activists demanded all public references to Catholicism, including the names of streets, be expunged. Anything “Catholic” must disappear.
There was to be one final spiritual battle. Word went out about a so-called “interfaith service” on Sunday July 12. It would happen at the St. Louis statue from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. That’s well after the park closes. A three-hour long interfaith service? It sounded very suspicious.
The Last Battle?
Other clues emerged. The primary agitator from Saturday June 26 announced his “security team” would arriving around 7 p.m. That’s well before our Rosary would be completed. The police had placed a series of barricades around the statue establishing a large perimeter to keep any activists at considerable difference. Word on the street said that tonight the mob might attack the statue, not stop till it lay on the ground.
Over 500 Catholics, our largest crowd so far, showed up that evening to pray. The spiritual atmosphere seemed peaceful, even joyful. Many priests around the archdiocese of St. Louis were offering prayers at that time, in some cases with their congregations. We peacefully left. Not long after, about three dozen activists arrived for their prayer vigil. Their night ended with a whimper.
Lessons from a Saint, and a King
Our statue of St. Louis bears a message for times such as these. The saint grasps the sword not by the hilt but by its blade. He raises it to God as a gesture of peace. We in St. Louis have done nothing but imitate what the statue of our patron symbolizes. Let this be a model for believers around the nation whose statues, shrines, and churches are being defaced, removed, and burned.
As of this writing, the petition to take down the statue of St. Louis has stalled at 1078 signatories. Of the two petitions to save the statue, one has 5754 signatories, another 51,877. The number of signatories for these latter two petitions are increasing by the day. Nonetheless our fight isn’t over. America needs much prayer. We shall continue to gather at Art Hill. And we will continue to pray for our city, our nation, and our world.
“Louis Capet” is a longtime St. Louis resident.


thestream--2020-07-20--Military Photo of the Day: Hercules Over Wyoming

A C-130 Hercules flies over the state of Wyoming on May 15 , 2020 , to show appreciation for essential @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 .
Thank you to all our nation ’ s heroes battling coronavirus and @ @ @ @ @ safe week !
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the @ @ @ @ @ Issues of Our Day .

A C-130 Hercules flies over the state of Wyoming on May 15, 2020, to show appreciation for essential personnel on the front lines of COVID-19.
Thank you to all our nation’s heroes battling coronavirus and other threats. Have a safe week!
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.