thestream--2020-12-13--The Trump Administration vs. Pope Francis’ Vatican: Virtue, and Virtue-Signaling

Back in May , here at The Stream we posed a deadly serious question : “ How Many African and Asian Kids Will Leftists Starve Just to Beat Donald Trump ?
” We weren ’ t just being partisan or blowing smoke .
We relied on the gravest warnings from the United Nations , global food experts , and other professionals .
They feared the collapse of food exports , especially from the U.S. , caused by the reckless lockdown in response to China ’ s biowarfare attack on the world .
Unchecked , that would have left millions starving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , shortages , and hunger could collapse the fragile governments of several poor countries .
And that would spark civil wars .
The number of food insecure people at the height of the lockdown food crisis was a staggering 130 million .
We included a warning from the Atlantic Council .
You know what didn ’ t happen ?
Massive global hunger , unrest , and civil war .
You know why it didn ’ t happen ?
The work of heroic figures in the Trump administration , especially David Beasley .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of the United Nations World Food Programme .
Beasley issued dire warnings which we quoted in our article .
He repeated them to anyone who would listen .
Beasley wore himself out flying around the world , repairing the broken links in the food distribution network .
He and his agency reconnected farmers with wholesalers .
He re-linked transportation networks , connecting farmers to hungry customers in threatened , impoverished countries .
The UNWFP moved mountains , and prevented a massive human tragedy—though we are far from out of the woods , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not our conclusion , but the verdict of the Nobel Prize Committee , which just awarded Beasley ’ s agency the Peace Prize for 2020 .
How much have you heard about this effort , led by Trump ’ s handpicked man , to save millions of lives in black and brown countries ?
Not much , we bet .
You ’ re more likely to have heard about the latest efforts by Pope Francis to “ cure ” capitalism of its ills .
As Church Militant reports : [ T ] he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Vatican ” ( CICV ) is comprised of 27 of the world ’ s top business leaders and intends to “ create a more equitable , sustainable and trusted economic system.
” … A majority of the pope ’ s “ guardians ” ( as the council members are called ) include the Rockefeller Foundation , Ford Foundation , Kering group , Allianz , MasterCard , Estée Lauder , Guardian Life Insurance Company of America , California state treasurer Fiona Ma and Johnson & Johnson — who are on record promoting abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matter ( BLM ) and uncontrolled immigration.Alexander Tschugguel , director of the St. Boniface Institute , is warning Catholics to “ be deeply concerned by what is currently being sold to us under the slogan of ‘ inclusive capitalism . '
” Speaking to Church Militant , Tschugguel explained : “ I think it is no coincidence that this new council was founded shortly after the World Economic Forum ( WEF ) started to promote the idea of the ‘ Great Reset.
’ The proposals being put forward by the WEF and this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and private property.
” The billionaires and multi-billion-dollar foundations partnered with Francis aren ’ t spending their own money to help the poor .
Instead they seek political and economic power , using the poor as a pretext .
Pope Francis signed an alliance with Communist China , aimed against the West .
His top authority on Catholic social teaching , Bishop Marcelo Sorondo , praised China as living out that teaching better than the United States does .
He praised the Chinese model again at a conference of Communist Party organ thieves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living political prisoners and sell them for profit .
Francis has said virtually nothing about the internment of more than a million Uyghur Muslims in concentration camps , where they face slave labor and forced abortion .
But then , Francis has said almost nothing about the persecution of millions of Christians inside China either .
We Must Stand with the Vulnerable As Christians it is our calling to stand at the foot of the Cross .
In practical terms , that means seeking out the most vulnerable and unprotected , and interposing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s why both of us have been active in the pro-life movement for decades .
It ’ s why we speak up against religious persecution in all its forms .
It ’ s why we favor a free economy that generates sufficient wealth to raise the prospects of the poorest people on earth .
And oppose elitist , top-down schemes like the corporatism ( fascism , really ) Pope Francis and his allies seem to favor .
The Parable of the Two Sons Looking at Trump ’ s allies and Francis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of Jesus ’ parables .
We ’ ll quote it here , and leave it for you think about .
Jesus asked His followers : “ What do you think ?
There was a man who had two sons .
He went to the first and said , ‘ Son , go and work today in the vineyard.
’ “ ‘ I will not , ’ he answered , but later he changed his mind and went .
“ Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sir , ’ but he did not go .
“ Which of the two did what his father wanted ?
” Jesus said to them , “ Truly I tell you , the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.
” ( Matt .
21 : 28-32 ) Keep that parable in mind the next time some virtue-signaling Christian preens about his purity .
Jason Jones is a senior contributor to The Stream .
He is a film producer , author , activist and human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at @ JasonJonesShow .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .
Together , Jones and Zmirak wrote The Race to Save Our Century .

Back in May, here at The Stream we posed a deadly serious question: “How Many African and Asian Kids Will Leftists Starve Just to Beat Donald Trump?” We weren’t just being partisan or blowing smoke. We relied on the gravest warnings from the United Nations, global food experts, and other professionals. They feared the collapse of food exports, especially from the U.S., caused by the reckless lockdown in response to China’s biowarfare attack on the world. Unchecked, that would have left millions starving.
Regional experts predicted that food insecurity, shortages, and hunger could collapse the fragile governments of several poor countries. And that would spark civil wars. The number of food insecure people at the height of the lockdown food crisis was a staggering 130 million. We included a warning from the Atlantic Council.
Up to 300,000 people could starve to death every day if the COVID-19 pandemic ruptures global food supply chains — even more than the roughly 275,000 people who have died of the disease worldwide so far.
A Tragedy Prevented
You know what didn’t happen? Massive global hunger, unrest, and civil war. You know why it didn’t happen? The work of heroic figures in the Trump administration, especially David Beasley. He was Trump’s nominee for executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme. Beasley issued dire warnings which we quoted in our article. He repeated them to anyone who would listen. Beasley wore himself out flying around the world, repairing the broken links in the food distribution network. He and his agency reconnected farmers with wholesalers. He re-linked transportation networks, connecting farmers to hungry customers in threatened, impoverished countries. The UNWFP moved mountains, and prevented a massive human tragedy—though we are far from out of the woods, as Beasley warns.
That’s not our conclusion, but the verdict of the Nobel Prize Committee, which just awarded Beasley’s agency the Peace Prize for 2020. How much have you heard about this effort, led by Trump’s handpicked man, to save millions of lives in black and brown countries?
Not much, we bet.
Pharisees Virtue Signaling in Rome
You’re more likely to have heard about the latest efforts by Pope Francis to “cure” capitalism of its ills. As Church Militant reports:
[T]he “The Council for Inclusive Capitalism with the Vatican” (CICV) is comprised of 27 of the world’s top business leaders and intends to “create a more equitable, sustainable and trusted economic system.”
… A majority of the pope’s “guardians” (as the council members are called) include the Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, Kering group, Allianz, MasterCard, Estée Lauder, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, California state treasurer Fiona Ma and Johnson & Johnson — who are on record promoting abortion, pansexuality, the Marxist Black Lives Matter (BLM) and uncontrolled immigration.Alexander Tschugguel, director of the St. Boniface Institute, is warning Catholics to “be deeply concerned by what is currently being sold to us under the slogan of ‘inclusive capitalism.'” … Speaking to Church Militant, Tschugguel explained: “I think it is no coincidence that this new council was founded shortly after the World Economic Forum (WEF) started to promote the idea of the ‘Great Reset.’ The proposals being put forward by the WEF and this new council seek to undermine free initiative and private property.”
Spending Other People’s Money
The billionaires and multi-billion-dollar foundations partnered with Francis aren’t spending their own money to help the poor. Instead they seek political and economic power, using the poor as a pretext.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Pope Francis signed an alliance with Communist China, aimed against the West. His top authority on Catholic social teaching, Bishop Marcelo Sorondo, praised China as living out that teaching better than the United States does. He praised the Chinese model again at a conference of Communist Party organ thieves, who steal kidneys and livers from living political prisoners and sell them for profit.
Francis has said virtually nothing about the internment of more than a million Uyghur Muslims in concentration camps, where they face slave labor and forced abortion. But then, Francis has said almost nothing about the persecution of millions of Christians inside China either.
We Must Stand with the Vulnerable
As Christians it is our calling to stand at the foot of the Cross. In practical terms, that means seeking out the most vulnerable and unprotected, and interposing ourselves between them and their tormentors. That’s why both of us have been active in the pro-life movement for decades. It’s why we speak up against religious persecution in all its forms. It’s why we favor a free economy that generates sufficient wealth to raise the prospects of the poorest people on earth. And oppose elitist, top-down schemes like the corporatism (fascism, really) Pope Francis and his allies seem to favor.
The Parable of the Two Sons
Looking at Trump’s allies and Francis’, we really are reminded of one of Jesus’ parables. We’ll quote it here, and leave it for you think about. Jesus asked His followers:
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.” (Matt. 21: 28-32)
Keep that parable in mind the next time some virtue-signaling Christian preens about his purity.
Jason Jones is a senior contributor to The Stream. He is a film producer, author, activist and human rights worker. You can follow him at @JasonJonesShow.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism.
Together, Jones and Zmirak wrote The Race to Save Our Century.


thestream--2020-12-13--Time Claims That Biden and Harris are ‘Forces of Empathy.’ It’s Enough to Make Me Retch

It ’ s no surprise that a dying institution of old media would name Joe Biden and Kamala Harris its “ Person of the Year.
” But to claim the two got it “ for showing that the forces of empathy are greater than the furies of division , for sharing a vision of healing in a grieving world ” ?
It ’ s enough to make me retch .
Like other writers here at The Stream , I consider it very likely that the election was stolen .
But I think it unlikely that would ever be proven .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the proof comes too late to matter .
We are now at the point in the post-election cycle ( December 12th ) where Al Gore in 2000 finally conceded .
Our dear friends on the Left seem to have forgotten that their own man set the precedent the president is following .
You don ’ t get to fret about President Trump supposedly undermining our democracy by pursuing his rights in court when Al Gore did the same thing .
And they ’ ve forgotten a lot more .
Especially about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were the furies of division .
“ Forces of empathy ” ?
Give me a break .
You Don ’ t Get to Say That Democrats : You don ’ t get to complain about the delegitimizing of an election when President Obama spied on Trump ’ s 2016 campaign .
Or when Hillary Clinton and her party spent four years using the flimsy source for that investigation to claim that Trump was an illegitimate president .
Mr. Biden , you don ’ t get to act as if it was Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the House Democrats boycotted his inauguration , when the Democrats repeatedly treated him as a Russian agent , when you yourself called him a racist .
As the Wall Street Journal ’ s editors noted , Mr. Biden , you said we should “ put away the harsh rhetoric , ” and “ Stop treating our opponents as our enemies.
” But you said this after “ a campaign in which [ you ] called the incumbent a racist and blamed him for every COVID-19 death.
” And even after the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused Trump voters of supporting “ lies , hate , chaos , and division.
” You don ’ t get to treat us that way and then tell us that we are all friends now .
You don ’ t get to do that .
Leftist friends , you don ’ t get to call yourself “ the Resistance ” for four years .
You don ’ t get to corrupt major public institutions in pursuit of your fantasy that you are somehow fighting Nazis .
You don ’ t get to exploit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As Gerard Baker explained it in the Wall Street Journal , you don ’ t get to turn it into “ a neat little tableau of the protection-racket ethos that has defined American politics for the last four years : Vote for us so we can dance and celebrate .
Vote against us and we ’ ll burn down your business and steal your property.
” And then tell us that we are the ones subverting democratic norms ?
No .
You don ’ t get to do that .
You don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nominees the way you did for four years — with my own U.S .
Senator , Chris Murphy , promising to “ shatter precedent ” to fight them — and think that we will now lie down for your nominees .
Above all , you don ’ t get to think that we will ever forget what you did to Brett Kavanaugh .
You don ’ t get to lecture us about the necessity of obeying federal laws in the case of the Kentucky clerk that refused to sign same-sex marriage certificates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same thing in defiance of federal immigration policies .
You don ’ t get to have celebrities openly fantasize about assassinating President Trump and then lecture us about showing respect to Joe Biden .
You don ’ t get to shame Jimmy Kimmel into regret over “ normalizing ” Trump by having him on his show .
Or push teenage Olympic athletes into refusing to meet with him .
Or attack actor Chris Pratt simply for not attending a Biden rally .
Or ask Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave a restaurant because she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t get to do that for four years and think things will be normal now .
And you don ’ t get to hail then-acting Attorney General Sally Yates as a martyr to justice for resisting an edict from the White House when she was fine with lawlessness in the Obama era : the contraceptive mandate on the nuns , the attempt to control who churches hire as their ministers , the refusal to defend DOMA in Court , the warning in Obergefell ’ s oral arguments that the administration will one day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that resist same-sex marriage .
That is the type of Administration that will likely be in power next month .
Only worse .
Does it have to be like this ?
Is there a path by which Biden ’ s call for unity could be greeted as sincere by those who have been treated so terribly by his party ?
In fact , a path was sketched out by the Journal ’ s editors a month ago .
Note the very first item : “ The former Vice President could start by ending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Poor .
… Dropping the attempt to coerce these nuns … would be an important gesture to religious Americans that Mr. Biden is going to lower the temperature in the culture war.
” Instead , we got the nominations of Xavier Becerra and Neera Tanden .
So much for lowering the temperature .
Biden turned it up .
You Don ’ t Get to Do That You don ’ t get to do that , Leftists .
You don ’ t get to nominate hard , divisive leftists like Becerra and Tanden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the forces of empathy are greater than the furies of division.
” For four years you have stoked the very division you claim to have overcome .
If Trump ’ s attempt to prove he was the real winner should fail in court , it will be our turn to be the Resistance .
And , as the Dixie Chicks might say , we ’ re not ready to make nice .
Peter Wolfgang is president of Family Institute of Connecticut Action .
He lives in Waterbury , Connecticut , with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ views expressed on The Stream are solely his own .

It’s no surprise that a dying institution of old media would name Joe Biden and Kamala Harris its “Person of the Year.” But to claim the two got it “for showing that the forces of empathy are greater than the furies of division, for sharing a vision of healing in a grieving world”? It’s enough to make me retch.
Like other writers here at The Stream, I consider it very likely that the election was stolen. But I think it unlikely that would ever be proven. At best, it will be proven when the proof comes too late to matter.
We are now at the point in the post-election cycle (December 12th) where Al Gore in 2000 finally conceded. Our dear friends on the Left seem to have forgotten that their own man set the precedent the president is following. You don’t get to fret about President Trump supposedly undermining our democracy by pursuing his rights in court when Al Gore did the same thing.
And they’ve forgotten a lot more. Especially about the way Democrats, including Biden and Harris, were the furies of division. “Forces of empathy”? Give me a break.
You Don’t Get to Say That
Democrats: You don’t get to complain about the delegitimizing of an election when President Obama spied on Trump’s 2016 campaign. Or when Hillary Clinton and her party spent four years using the flimsy source for that investigation to claim that Trump was an illegitimate president.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Mr. Biden, you don’t get to act as if it was Trump doing all the demonizing, when one-third of the House Democrats boycotted his inauguration, when the Democrats repeatedly treated him as a Russian agent, when you yourself called him a racist.
As the Wall Street Journal’s editors noted, Mr. Biden, you said we should “put away the harsh rhetoric,” and “Stop treating our opponents as our enemies.” But you said this after “a campaign in which [you] called the incumbent a racist and blamed him for every COVID-19 death.” And even after the campaign, Michelle Obama’s congratulatory message accused Trump voters of supporting “lies, hate, chaos, and division.”
You don’t get to treat us that way and then tell us that we are all friends now. You don’t get to do that.
Leftist friends, you don’t get to call yourself “the Resistance” for four years. You don’t get to corrupt major public institutions in pursuit of your fantasy that you are somehow fighting Nazis.
You don’t get to exploit the deep racial wounds in our country. As Gerard Baker explained it in the Wall Street Journal, you don’t get to turn it into “a neat little tableau of the protection-racket ethos that has defined American politics for the last four years: Vote for us so we can dance and celebrate. Vote against us and we’ll burn down your business and steal your property.”
Who’s Subverting Democracy?
And then tell us that we are the ones subverting democratic norms? No. You don’t get to do that.
You don’t get to treat Trump’s nominees the way you did for four years — with my own U.S. Senator, Chris Murphy, promising to “shatter precedent” to fight them — and think that we will now lie down for your nominees. Above all, you don’t get to think that we will ever forget what you did to Brett Kavanaugh.
You don’t get to lecture us about the necessity of obeying federal laws in the case of the Kentucky clerk that refused to sign same-sex marriage certificates when you applauded sanctuary cities doing the same thing in defiance of federal immigration policies.
You don’t get to have celebrities openly fantasize about assassinating President Trump and then lecture us about showing respect to Joe Biden. You don’t get to shame Jimmy Kimmel into regret over “normalizing” Trump by having him on his show. Or push teenage Olympic athletes into refusing to meet with him. Or attack actor Chris Pratt simply for not attending a Biden rally. Or ask Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave a restaurant because she works for Trump. You don’t get to do that for four years and think things will be normal now.
And you don’t get to hail then-acting Attorney General Sally Yates as a martyr to justice for resisting an edict from the White House when she was fine with lawlessness in the Obama era: the contraceptive mandate on the nuns, the attempt to control who churches hire as their ministers, the refusal to defend DOMA in Court, the warning in Obergefell’s oral arguments that the administration will one day be targeting the tax-exempt status of churches that resist same-sex marriage.
Even Worse
That is the type of Administration that will likely be in power next month. Only worse.
Does it have to be like this? Is there a path by which Biden’s call for unity could be greeted as sincere by those who have been treated so terribly by his party?
In fact, a path was sketched out by the Journal’s editors a month ago. Note the very first item: “The former Vice President could start by ending government harassment of the Little Sisters of the Poor. … Dropping the attempt to coerce these nuns … would be an important gesture to religious Americans that Mr. Biden is going to lower the temperature in the culture war.”
Instead, we got the nominations of Xavier Becerra and Neera Tanden. So much for lowering the temperature. Biden turned it up.
You Don’t Get to Do That
You don’t get to do that, Leftists. You don’t get to nominate hard, divisive leftists like Becerra and Tanden and then tell us that Biden shows “the forces of empathy are greater than the furies of division.” For four years you have stoked the very division you claim to have overcome. If Trump’s attempt to prove he was the real winner should fail in court, it will be our turn to be the Resistance.
And, as the Dixie Chicks might say, we’re not ready to make nice.
Peter Wolfgang is president of Family Institute of Connecticut Action. He lives in Waterbury, Connecticut, with his wife and their seven children. The views expressed on The Stream are solely his own.


thestream--2020-12-14--Joe Biden Must Spare America and Concede

Yeah , I know electors will anoint Joe Biden as president-elect Monday .
But you know what would make life better for America ?
For Democrats ?
If Joe Biden would right now concede the 2020 race .
Concede that the thousand-plus Americans who swear under penalty of law and Antifa threats that they saw and experienced wrongdoing in the election must be heard .
Admit what Democrats and the media had been saying for years is true , that the Dominion voting system was easily and readily corrupted .
Concede that is statistically impossible for the voting spikes overnight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania and George to have been legit .
Concede that it is criminal that an estimated 30,000 Republican absentee votes in Pennsylvania alone never got counted .
Concede that the video showing partisans in Georgia sending observers and media home , then counting ( and recounting ) ballots pulled out from under tables , is damning evidence .
Concede that the number of non-citizens voting far exceeds Biden ’ s margin of victory .
Then add all the dead people and ineligible voters who voted .
Concede it is crazy to think he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Florida and in 18 of 19 bellwether counties .
Crazy to think he won despite having coattails so short as to not bring a single Democrat in a toss-up House race to victory … while Trump ’ s coattails delivered 27 wins .
Concede that it is unrealistic for a campaign that was bailing out police-attacking rioters and refused to condemn by name groups that were attacking peace officers nationwide to have won when , by Biden ’ s own admission , the GOP “ beat the hell ” out of Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Police movement .
Concede that there ’ s no way on earth a candidate who did not campaign , had no ground game , had no enthusiasm , can ’ t remember what office he ’ s running for , and was plugging policies destructive to the swing states , won 10-plus million more votes than Barack Obama .
Concede the evidence is overwhelming that he did not win legitimately .
( See here for the spreadsheet that lays out links the evidence .
See here for Sidney Powell ’ s legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in assorted states . )
He Won ’ t Concede , Though He Should Of course , Biden is not going to do this .
He will never acknowledge what was done in his name .
He has enough trouble remembering the names of his nominees and the job he ’ s nominated him for .
Heck , he has enough trouble grabbing his dog ’ s tail .
Still , it would be better for America … and for Joe Biden … and the Democrats … for him to concede right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Biden family money-laundering scandal , and a host of other trouble is barreling toward him like a freight train .
It didn ’ t take a genius to know that the media and Big Tech censoring of Joe Biden ’ s involvement in Hunter Biden ’ s Chinese business dealings would end the minute Joe ’ s usefulness ended .
Repeatedly we said the Democrats and their string-pullers wanted ride the hollow shell that is Joe Biden into the White House and dispose of him like a dead carcass at first convenience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting to happen .
Even CNN is reporting that the FBI is not just investigating Hunter Biden ’ s taxes , but also Biden for money laundering and his Chinese dealings .
And what do we know about Hunter Biden ’ s Chinese dealings ?
Joe Biden is the “ big guy.
” Joe Biden was involved up to his plastic-surgery tightened face .
We know from Biden family business partner Tony Bobulinski that the Chinese were funneling deals the Biden family ’ s way for one reason : Influence .
We know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Biden ’ s “ win ” is , well , um .
You know .
Damning is the video of the Chinese professor Di Dongsheng explaining just how in their pocket Biden is .
Tucker Carlson aired it after Chinese censors pulled the video .
Listen to the laughter of the knowing audience .
The clip of Di starts about 2 minutes in .
We know from Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe that the Chinese have been running a massive influence gathering operation , including bribery and blackmail of government officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion to the crack-addled , hooker-chasing son of the vice-president ( and future “ President-elect ” ) sound ?
We know Joe Biden lied about his knowledge of Hunter and his brothers ’ business activities .
We know Joe repeatedly swore Hunter has done no wrong and that the whole Hunter Biden laptop story was a “ Russian plan.
” We also have an email from Hunter describing Joe Biden as an “ office mate ” of one of his Chinese business partners .
We know Joe Biden ’ s brother James is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dealings with a Florida health care company .
During his dealings , James bragged that Joe was excited about what the company James was planning to do .
So either Joe is involved in the alleged fraud or he has to testify his brother is a con artist .
We know Joe Biden was involved in the Obama Administration ’ s efforts to use the Trump-Russia concoction to sabotage the incoming Trump administration , and was personally involved in the effort to get General Michael Flynn .
Meaning , he is caught up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the origins of the Russia Collusion black op .
What else do we know ?
Although the media will not yet say it , we know there is absolutely no way in the world the FBI could be investigating Hunter and James ’ Biden ’ s financial dealings for two years without Joe Biden being under investigation as well .
Bobulinksi himself says the FBI interviewed him for five hours about his knowledge of Biden Family , Inc .
Which mean the United States will be installing in the Oval Office a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and already compromised by our most dangerous rival .
According to the Chinese themselves .
( Assuming the Supreme Court doesn ’ t have the stones to declare the election an utter corrupt mess . )
Which means , a Joe ’ s presidency would be over before he ’ s even finished saying the oath .
Which means , after a hellish 2020 , American would have to endure a smelly , stinky mess of a real political corruption scandal .
With real congressional hearings .
With real indictments .
After all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slew of Hunter ’ s business partners can go to prison and he can walk free .
Or at least not without those partners ratting Hunter and Joe and James .
Sure , Kamala and Obama will go to Joe and say , “ Maybe your health isn ’ t so good .
Maybe you are few cards short of a deck .
Maybe you can bail out now for ‘ health reasons ’ and a lot of this goes away.
” How will honest Democrats react to discovering they had been played @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dark about the Bidens , all to get the thoroughly unlikable Harris in position to take over at first opportunity ?
More mess .
More chaos .
A lot more people realizing “ Gee , maybe a fix was in.
” How in the world does that end well for Democrats ?
We Can Avoid All the Chaos Meanwhile , the 75 million people who know they were robbed , to say nothing of the states who feel nullified , are going to be riled up .
I mean , the Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All told , a mess .
But we can avoid chaos .
We can save the country from the polluted panorama of Chinese-connected corruption bringing down an administration .
It would take one simple act : Joe doing what he would have done early election night , had the vote counting not been stopped , and hundreds of thousands of votes not popped up out of the shadows .
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author , with @ JZmirak , of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And if you aren ’ t already , please follow The Stream at @ Streamdotorg .

Yeah, I know electors will anoint Joe Biden as president-elect Monday. But you know what would make life better for America? For Democrats?
If Joe Biden would right now concede the 2020 race.
Just Concede
Concede that the thousand-plus Americans who swear under penalty of law and Antifa threats that they saw and experienced wrongdoing in the election must be heard. Admit what Democrats and the media had been saying for years is true, that the Dominion voting system was easily and readily corrupted.
Concede that is statistically impossible for the voting spikes overnight in places like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and George to have been legit.
Concede that it is criminal that an estimated 30,000 Republican absentee votes in Pennsylvania alone never got counted.
Concede that the video showing partisans in Georgia sending observers and media home, then counting (and recounting) ballots pulled out from under tables, is damning evidence.
Concede that the number of non-citizens voting far exceeds Biden’s margin of victory. Then add all the dead people and ineligible voters who voted.
Concede it is crazy to think he could win while losing big in Ohio, Florida and in 18 of 19 bellwether counties. Crazy to think he won despite having coattails so short as to not bring a single Democrat in a toss-up House race to victory … while Trump’s coattails delivered 27 wins.
He Couldn’t Win
Concede that it is unrealistic for a campaign that was bailing out police-attacking rioters and refused to condemn by name groups that were attacking peace officers nationwide to have won when, by Biden’s own admission, the GOP “beat the living hell” out of Democrats across the country because of the Defund the Police movement.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Concede that there’s no way on earth a candidate who did not campaign, had no ground game, had no enthusiasm, can’t remember what office he’s running for, and was plugging policies destructive to the swing states, won 10-plus million more votes than Barack Obama.
Concede the evidence is overwhelming that he did not win legitimately. (See here for the spreadsheet that lays out links the evidence. See here for Sidney Powell’s legal filings, which lay out the cases in assorted states.)
He Won’t Concede, Though He Should
Of course, Biden is not going to do this. He will never acknowledge what was done in his name. He has enough trouble remembering the names of his nominees and the job he’s nominated him for. Heck, he has enough trouble grabbing his dog’s tail.
Still, it would be better for America … and for Joe Biden … and the Democrats … for him to concede right now. Why? Because the China scandal, Biden family money-laundering scandal, and a host of other trouble is barreling toward him like a freight train.
It didn’t take a genius to know that the media and Big Tech censoring of Joe Biden’s involvement in Hunter Biden’s Chinese business dealings would end the minute Joe’s usefulness ended. Repeatedly we said the Democrats and their string-pullers wanted ride the hollow shell that is Joe Biden into the White House and dispose of him like a dead carcass at first convenience.
Sure enough, it’s starting to happen. Even CNN is reporting that the FBI is not just investigating Hunter Biden’s taxes, but also Biden for money laundering and his Chinese dealings.
The Bidens’ Chinese Dealings
And what do we know about Hunter Biden’s Chinese dealings? Joe Biden is the “big guy.” Joe Biden was involved up to his plastic-surgery tightened face. We know from Biden family business partner Tony Bobulinski that the Chinese were funneling deals the Biden family’s way for one reason: Influence.
We know the Chinese considered Trump an obstacle, and Biden’s “win” is, well, um. You know. Damning is the video of the Chinese professor Di Dongsheng explaining just how in their pocket Biden is. Tucker Carlson aired it after Chinese censors pulled the video. Listen to the laughter of the knowing audience. The clip of Di starts about 2 minutes in.
We know from Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe that the Chinese have been running a massive influence gathering operation, including bribery and blackmail of government officials.
Gee, how does $1.5 billion to the crack-addled, hooker-chasing son of the vice-president (and future “President-elect”) sound?
We know Joe Biden lied about his knowledge of Hunter and his brothers’ business activities. We know Joe repeatedly swore Hunter has done no wrong and that the whole Hunter Biden laptop story was a “Russian plan.”
We also have an email from Hunter describing Joe Biden as an “office mate” of one of his Chinese business partners.
We know Joe Biden’s brother James is also under criminal investigation for his shady dealings with a Florida health care company. During his dealings, James bragged that Joe was excited about what he and the company was planning to do. So either Joe is involved in the alleged fraud or he has to testify his brother is a con artist.
We know Joe Biden was involved in the Obama Administration’s efforts to use the Trump-Russia concoction to sabotage the incoming Trump administration, and was personally involved in the effort to get General Michael Flynn. Meaning, he is caught up in John Durham’s criminal investigation into the origins of the Russia Collusion black op.
Joe is Neck-Deep
What else do we know? Although the media will not yet say it, we know there is absolutely no way in the world the FBI could be investigating Hunter and James’ Biden’s financial dealings for two years without Joe Biden being under investigation as well. Bobulinksi himself says the FBI interviewed him for five hours about his knowledge of Biden Family, Inc.
Which mean the United States will be installing in the Oval Office a president neck deep in three criminal investigation and already compromised by our most dangerous rival. According to the Chinese themselves. (Assuming the Supreme Court doesn’t have the stones to declare the election an utter corrupt mess.)
Which means, a Joe’s presidency would be over before he’s even finished saying the oath.
Which means, after a hellish 2020, American would have to endure a smelly, stinky mess of a real political corruption scandal. With real congressional hearings. With real indictments. After all, it’s not like a slew of Hunter’s business partners can go to prison and he can walk free. Or at least not without those partners ratting Hunter and Joe and James.
Sure, Kamala and Obama will go to Joe and say, “Maybe your health isn’t so good. Maybe you are few cards short of a deck. Maybe you can bail out now for ‘health reasons’ and a lot of this goes away.”
How will honest Democrats react to discovering they had been played? (Again.) Kept in the dark about the Bidens, all to get the thoroughly unlikable Harris in position to take over at first opportunity? More mess. More chaos. A lot more people realizing “Gee, maybe a fix was in.” How in the world does that end well for Democrats?
We Can Avoid All the Chaos
Meanwhile, the 75 million people who know they were robbed, to say nothing of the states who feel nullified, are going to be riled up. I mean, the Texas GOP is already talking about secession. All told, a mess.
But we can avoid chaos. We can save the country from the polluted panorama of Chinese-connected corruption bringing down an administration. It would take one simple act: Joe doing what he would have done early election night, had the vote counting not been stopped, and hundreds of thousands of votes not popped up out of the shadows.
Joe Biden can concede.
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author, with @JZmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl. And if you aren’t already, please follow The Stream at @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-12-14--Military Photo of the Day: Operation Christmas Drop

U.S. Air Force wave to the people of the Island of Angaur during the first round of the annual Operation @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 , in the Republic of Palau .

U.S. Air Force wave to the people of the Island of Angaur during the first round of the annual Operation Christmas Drop on December 6, 2020, in the Republic of Palau.
Have a great week, everyone!
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.


thestream--2020-12-14--No Christians Need Apply at the Voice of America?

Yes , we have bigger fish to fry in the form of fighting election fraud and keeping those two Georgia Senate seats .
But Christians can ’ t let that distract us from every other battle .
And there ’ s an important one brewing , over at the Voice of America , the U.S. government ’ s international radio station and news service .
That service is meant — by law — to be non-partisan and patriotic .
But holdover Obama appointees , aided by Senate Democrats , pushed the VOA off-mission until quite recently .
After years of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointee to run the Agency for Global Media ( the VOA ’ s governing body ) , Michael Pack .
And Pack has been trying to restore some philosophical balance and American pride in that service .
This despite the bleating of 1619 Project-style America-bashers , and an outraged Mainstream Media .
Pack chose to run the Voice of America Stream contributor Robert Reilly .
I think you can guess the rest of the story , but I need to tell it .
Media figures and long-time federal employees ( i.e.
, Swamp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frenzy over Reilly ’ s appointment .
Why ?
Is he some kind of right-wing extremist , linked to racist organizations or theocratic Pharisees ?
No , he ’ s a perfectly normal Reaganite .
He ran VOA already , from 2001-2 .
Reilly has served as president of Intercollegiate Studies Institute , a high-brow intellectual group that mentors college students .
( I edited ISI ’ s college guide for 12 years , by the way , and our main criteria were free speech and solid core curricula , not right-wing zeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but a political science scholar .
He has published widely on classical music , American history , Islam , and moral philosophy .
He also organizes an annual evening of waltzes in Washington , D.C. , to help keep that form of dance alive .
Reilly ’ s most recent book , America on Trial , defends America as a nation founded neither on religious dogma nor empty , groundless “ individual rights.
” Instead , Reilly shows through careful scholarship that the U.S. was founded as part of an unbroken tradition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jewish and Greek philosophical roots .
The book is so rich and dense that I had to read it slowly .
It could serve alone as a textbook in a political philosophy seminar at Yale .
But Reilly is more .
He ’ s also a Christian conservative , who holds to views that were perfectly normal and mainstream the day before yesterday .
( For instance , when Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act , with Joe Biden ’ s support , and Barack Obama disclaimed support for same-sex marriage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courageous 2014 book , Making Gay Okay , which laid out the natural law ( reason-based , not scriptural ) case against normalizing homosexuality .
He told me the publisher could hardly find any conservatives journals or magazines willing to review it , for fear of the wrath of the LGBT machine .
People privately warned him he was making a career blunder sticking his head up , in the face of massive , well-funded pressure groups like the Human Rights Campaign and the Southern Poverty Law Center .
He shrugged them off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behave , in case you ’ ve forgotten , since we see so few of them .
Reilly also made himself a scholar of Islam , and wrote the best book on it that I ’ ve ever read ( and I ’ ve read a lot of them ) .
His The Closing of the Muslim Mind is a masterpiece of high-level but accessible analysis .
In it , he explains why Sunni Islam in its current form is chronically prone to violence and extremism .
Some people say that the Muslim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Enlightenment .
That ’ s incorrect , as Reilly shows .
In fact , a movement arose in the Muslim world that did embrace the idea that God is purely rational , then critique those tenets of Islam which reason couldn ’ t justify .
( Such as slaughtering apostates , endorsing slavery and the seizure for sexual bondage of “ infidel ” women . )
This movement emerged in the 9th century .
In its heyday , it generated quite a few thinkers ( such as Averroes ) whose arguments influenced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in particular .
But because Islam ’ s founding scripture and traditions are so incompatible with reason , this “ rationalist ” movement quickly turned on basic Muslim beliefs .
Its followers jumped from the Renaissance to a kind of radical Enlightenment almost overnight .
Secularism beckoned .
Soon Muslim rulers and their official philosophers turned against this movement and hunted its followers down .
It disappeared , and we ’ re still living with the results , in the form of jihadist terrorism .
What “ moderate ” Islam existed once proved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be seen again .
Is Reilly ’ s a fringe position ?
In one of his last interviews , King Hussein of Jordan was asked by journalist Milton Viorst , “ Would you agree that the Muslim decline can be dated from the 9th century when Islam missed the chance to become the religion of reason and moderation by crushing the Mu ’ tazilite movement ?
” King Hussein answered , ‘ That is essentially correct , and we must do what we can to change that now.
’ ” Are you getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not abide it that someone who defends biblical morality and speak honestly about Islam is working for the government in any capacity .
Indeed , as social media platforms have made abundantly clear , people who cross red lines like those barely enjoy free speech in our country .
How much more outrageous that one of them is running a U.S.-sponsored media service , like Voice of America !
So of course the attacks began .
Then escalated from merely angry to shrill , hysterical , and now apocalyptic .
I will link @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearisome abuse to which Reilly is being subjected for thoughtcrimes and wrongthink .
The attacks include grossly truncated quotes from his sophisticated books , and the usual catalog of “ phobias ” with which armchair Woke analysts diagnose him .
Much of the controversy being whipped up about Reilly ’ s appointment comes from … Democrats who previously held his post .
Only one side ’ s allowed to win in America , remember ?
Wasn ’ t that what the vote Steal was meant to teach us ?
Make no mistake .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ voices in America and a leading Christian scholar .
If he is somehow forced out of his job it will be just one more light going out in America , one more “ No Christians Need Apply ” sign telling us we have no place in our country .
Your member of Congress deserves to hear what you think about that .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jones of “ God , Guns , & the Government .
”

Yes, we have bigger fish to fry in the form of fighting election fraud and keeping those two Georgia Senate seats. But Christians can’t let that distract us from every other battle. And there’s an important one brewing, over at the Voice of America, the U.S. government’s international radio station and news service. That service is meant — by law — to be non-partisan and patriotic. But holdover Obama appointees, aided by Senate Democrats, pushed the VOA off-mission until quite recently.
After years of Democrat obstruction, Trump got confirmed his appointee to run the Agency for Global Media (the VOA’s governing body), Michael Pack. And Pack has been trying to restore some philosophical balance and American pride in that service. This despite the bleating of 1619 Project-style America-bashers, and an outraged Mainstream Media.
A Scholar and a Patriot
Pack chose to run the Voice of America Stream contributor Robert Reilly. I think you can guess the rest of the story, but I need to tell it. Media figures and long-time federal employees (i.e., Swamp Creatures) have worked themselves into a frenzy over Reilly’s appointment. Why? Is he some kind of right-wing extremist, linked to racist organizations or theocratic Pharisees?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
No, he’s a perfectly normal Reaganite. He ran VOA already, from 2001-2. Reilly has served as president of Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a high-brow intellectual group that mentors college students. (I edited ISI’s college guide for 12 years, by the way, and our main criteria were free speech and solid core curricula, not right-wing zeal.) Reilly not a partisan commentator but a political science scholar. He has published widely on classical music, American history, Islam, and moral philosophy. He also organizes an annual evening of waltzes in Washington, D.C., to help keep that form of dance alive.
Reilly’s most recent book, America on Trial, defends America as a nation founded neither on religious dogma nor empty, groundless “individual rights.” Instead, Reilly shows through careful scholarship that the U.S. was founded as part of an unbroken tradition of natural law reasoning that goes back to Jewish and Greek philosophical roots. The book is so rich and dense that I had to read it slowly. It could serve alone as a textbook in a political philosophy seminar at Yale.
A real firebrand, that Reilly. A regular Proud Boy.
No Christians Needed Here
But Reilly is more. He’s also a Christian conservative, who holds to views that were perfectly normal and mainstream the day before yesterday. (For instance, when Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act, with Joe Biden’s support, and Barack Obama disclaimed support for same-sex marriage.)
Reilly wrote a powerful, courageous 2014 book, Making Gay Okay, which laid out the natural law (reason-based, not scriptural) case against normalizing homosexuality. He told me the publisher could hardly find any conservatives journals or magazines willing to review it, for fear of the wrath of the LGBT machine. People privately warned him he was making a career blunder sticking his head up, in the face of massive, well-funded pressure groups like the Human Rights Campaign and the Southern Poverty Law Center. He shrugged them off. That’s how magnanimous men behave, in case you’ve forgotten, since we see so few of them.
Speaking Frankly About Islam
Reilly also made himself a scholar of Islam, and wrote the best book on it that I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a lot of them). His The Closing of the Muslim Mind is a masterpiece of high-level but accessible analysis. In it, he explains why Sunni Islam in its current form is chronically prone to violence and extremism. Some people say that the Muslim world never went through a Renaissance or Enlightenment. That’s incorrect, as Reilly shows.
In fact, a movement arose in the Muslim world that did embrace the idea that God is purely rational, then critique those tenets of Islam which reason couldn’t justify. (Such as slaughtering apostates, endorsing slavery and the seizure for sexual bondage of “infidel” women.) This movement emerged in the 9th century. In its heyday, it generated quite a few thinkers (such as Averroes) whose arguments influenced the West, becoming central for Thomas Aquinas in particular.
The End of Islamic Reason
But because Islam’s founding scripture and traditions are so incompatible with reason, this “rationalist” movement quickly turned on basic Muslim beliefs. Its followers jumped from the Renaissance to a kind of radical Enlightenment almost overnight. Secularism beckoned. Soon Muslim rulers and their official philosophers turned against this movement and hunted its followers down. It disappeared, and we’re still living with the results, in the form of jihadist terrorism. What “moderate” Islam existed once proved unstable, and vanished, never to be seen again.
Our elites cannot abide it that someone who defends biblical morality and speak honestly about Islam is working for the government in any capacity.
Is Reilly’s a fringe position? In one of his last interviews, King Hussein of Jordan was asked by journalist Milton Viorst, “Would you agree that the Muslim decline can be dated from the 9th century when Islam missed the chance to become the religion of reason and moderation by crushing the Mu’tazilite movement?” King Hussein answered, ‘That is essentially correct, and we must do what we can to change that now.’”
Warning: Crimethink
Are you getting the picture now? Our elites cannot abide it that someone who defends biblical morality and speak honestly about Islam is working for the government in any capacity. Indeed, as social media platforms have made abundantly clear, people who cross red lines like those barely enjoy free speech in our country. How much more outrageous that one of them is running a U.S.-sponsored media service, like Voice of America!
So of course the attacks began. Then escalated from merely angry to shrill, hysterical, and now apocalyptic. I will link to, but not quote, the wearisome abuse to which Reilly is being subjected for thoughtcrimes and wrongthink. The attacks include grossly truncated quotes from his sophisticated books, and the usual catalog of “phobias” with which armchair Woke analysts diagnose him. Much of the controversy being whipped up about Reilly’s appointment comes from … Democrats who previously held his post. Only one side’s allowed to win in America, remember? Wasn’t that what the vote Steal was meant to teach us?
Make no mistake. Reilly is one of the finest conservative voices in America and a leading Christian scholar. If he is somehow forced out of his job it will be just one more light going out in America, one more “No Christians Need Apply” sign telling us we have no place in our country. Your member of Congress deserves to hear what you think about that.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He is co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”


thestream--2020-12-15--Dominion Voting Machine Report Released

Dominion Voting Machine Report Released

A Michigan judge , who obviously has more curiosity about our voting system than the Supreme Court does , allowed a forensic examination of Dominion Voting Systems machines in Antrim County , where the infamous flip of Trump votes to Biden occurred ( and was attributed to “ human error ” ) .
The data firm Allied Security Operations Group did the examination for the plaintiff and submitted a report , which the judge allowed to be released publicly .
Here are their findings : State officials claim that the report is “ inaccurate , incomplete , and misleading ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incorrect assumptions.
” I know a way to settle this : let various data analysts do forensic examinations of multiple Dominion Voting Systems machines in other states , such as Georgia .
If this firm is wrong and there ’ s nothing to hide , then I ’ m sure Democrats , state officials and the media will join me in this call for full transparency and the public ’ s right to know .
Right ?
H.L .
Mencken once wrote , “ Democracy is the theory that the common people know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get it good and hard.
” In blue states like California and New York , the people who voted in far-left “ progressive ” Democrats are definitely getting it good and hard , but unfortunately , so are the people who got outvoted .
There ’ s a lot of complaining , but will any of it result in voters making the mental connection between the incompetent , oppressive leaders who are destroying their lives and livelihoods and their own reflexive checking of the “ D ” boxes on ballots ?
So far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope .
Kim Klacik heavily lost her bid for Congress in Baltimore to an old-line Democratic Party insider , despite giving one of the most effective demonstrations I ’ ve ever seen of the direct connection between decades of Democrat “ governance ” and the horrendous conditions the people are living under .
And now , here ’ s a story about New York City business owners and workers who are being driven into poverty by endless , pointless Democrat lockdowns and policies hostile to businesses .
One thing that haunts them is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Staten Island that would have created 25,000 jobs .
When the pandemic hit and Americans needed everything delivered , Amazon soared and might have added thousands more workers .
But the planned site of that installation is still just an area of empty urban blight because Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other “ progressive ” politicians drove away Amazon ( AOC even celebrated that ) .
They didn ’ t want those evil capitalists exploiting the masses by hiring them !
Another planned use of the property that promised to create jobs was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demands and fighting to block “ gentrification.
” There are some humorous but unrepeatable quotes about AOC , Mayor DeBlasio and others from business owners — but AOC was up for reelection just last month , after she killed the Amazon project and 10 months into the pandemic .
What happened ?
She was reelected with nearly 72 % of the vote .
Still , that was less than 153,000 votes in a district where the population is over 706,000 .
If enough voters had turned out and dared to break the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ habit , they might actually have a Representative who cares more about their suffering than promoting her socialist agenda and herself in the media .
But they didn ’ t .
At least DeBlasio is facing term limits .
But will New Yorkers actually wise up , the way they did when they elected Guiliani to clean up the mess left by DeBlasio ’ s mentor , David Dinkins ?
Or will they vote for yet another leftist ?
Will they find one who ’ s even worse , if such a thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a quote , I ’ d like to end with one .
But I can ’ t decide between Edmund Burke or Ron White .
So I ’ ll quote both .
“ All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
” — Edmund Burke Georgia , It ’ s Up to You The electors are set to meet today and are expected to vote to make Joe Biden President .
Meanwhile , President Trump is continuing to pursue challenges to the votes in key swing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope , his longshot bid is getting longer .
It ’ s now being talked about not just as a fight to keep Trump in the White House , but a fight to protect all future elections , to force the institutions that are supposed to ensure our elections are honest to do their jobs .
Judging from polls that show 47 % of Americans believe the election was stolen ( and that even includes about 30 % of Democrats ) , something has to be done to reassure Americans that their votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in , and telling them “ You ’ re crazy !
You ’ re wrong !
Shut up , you ’ re not allowed to talk about it !
” isn ’ t convincing anybody of anything , other than that the people saying that have something they ’ re trying to hide .
But if it is true that America is about to face the scary prospect of a Biden Presidency ( even scarier when you consider who will really be running things ) , the two runoff races to determine control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more and more like the last chance America has to dodge a wave of disastrous leftist policies , some of which ( like stacking the Supreme Court or bringing in more rubber-stamp Democrat states ) would be irreversible .
And I hate to be the bearer of bad news , but it appears that Republicans aren ’ t taking that threat seriously enough .
I fear they may be walking toward a wood chipper with their eyes closed .
Stacy Abrams is bragging that the Dems have generated 1.2 million absentee ballot requests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( you can imagine what that means ) .
Polls show the Democrats rising , even as their radicalism is becoming more obvious by the day .
Meanwhile , the Republicans are in disarray , with some people foolishly calling for boycotting the election to express anger over the Trump vote count .
Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face !
Trump has strongly denounced that and even traveled to Georgia to urge people to turn out to support Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue .
Early voting starts today in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is vitally important if you are in Georgia that you vote , and get every Republican you know to vote , even if you have to drive them to the polls yourself .
Volunteer for get-out-the-vote efforts and for poll-watching , because Heaven knows we ’ ll need to watch those polls like hawks .
I ’ m going to direct you to today ’ s must-read , by Neil Patel at Real Clear Politics .
It ’ s titled , “ Republicans are Blowing It in Georgia , and We May All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s being too pessimistic , but I also pray that this will light a fire under Republicans who are sitting on the fence and get them motivated to get out and fight for those seats .
In this article , Patel outlines some of what Chuck Schumer , Nancy Pelosi and a Joe Biden Administration are itching to do to America if they have even the most microscopic majority in the Senate .
I agree with Patel that I can ’ t believe the majority of Georgia voters want what the Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of us , which should horrify anyone to the right of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
But they need to be told the consequences in no uncertain terms .
Remember the polls showing that Joe Biden would have lost in a landslide if his voters had actually known some of the things about him that the media and social media kept hidden ?
Well , it ’ s obvious we can ’ t depend on them to tell Georgia voters the truth about Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock or what their elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , opening the borders , seizing guns , trampling First Amendment speech and religious freedom rights , cementing fraudulent voting practices and more .
Now , Georgians , it ’ s up to you .
They haven ’ t yet figured out a way to censor phone calls , emails , letters and personal conversations .
So read this , have your eyes opened , and spread it to everyone you know .
Speaking of Stacy Abrams , Rick Moran at PJ Media reports that she is incensed at Republicans comparing her refusal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s race loss to President Trump challenging the 2020 vote counts .
She ’ s actually correct ( maybe for the first time ) in claiming they ’ re completely different situations .
For instance , Abrams lost by a substantial enough margin that it didn ’ t even require a recount .
But as Moran points out , the major difference is that Trump argues that he lost because illegal ballots from invisible voters shouldn ’ t be counted .
Abrams thinks she lost because illegal ballots from invisible voters should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re discussing hypocrisy over challenging elections , a hat tip to Instapundit for digging this up .
Last week , New Jersey Democrat Rep. Bill Pascrell accused 120 GOP House members who supported the Texas lawsuit challenging the legality of the election processes in four states of “ insurrection ” and demanded that Speaker Pelosi refuse to seat them .
Turns out this was the same Bill Pascrell who in 2017 tried to force the House to create an independent commission to investigate ( non-existent ) collusion between Trump ’ s campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2016 election was illegitimate .
As we always say , “ If it weren ’ t for double standards , they ’ d have no standards at all.
” 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 .

A Michigan judge, who obviously has more curiosity about our voting system than the Supreme Court does, allowed a forensic examination of Dominion Voting Systems machines in Antrim County, where the infamous flip of Trump votes to Biden occurred (and was attributed to “human error”). The data firm Allied Security Operations Group did the examination for the plaintiff and submitted a report, which the judge allowed to be released publicly.
Here are their findings:
We conclude that the Dominion Voting System is intentionally and purposefully designed with inherent errors to create systemic fraud and influence election results … The system intentionally generates an enormously high number of ballot errors. The electronic ballots are then transferred for adjudication. The intentional errors lead to bulk adjudication of ballots with no oversight, no transparency, and no audit trail. This leads to voter or election fraud. Based on our study, we conclude that The Dominion Voting System should not be used in Michigan. We further conclude that the results of Antrim County should not have been certified.
State officials claim that the report is “inaccurate, incomplete, and misleading” and based on “faulty assumptions and incorrect assumptions.” I know a way to settle this: let various data analysts do forensic examinations of multiple Dominion Voting Systems machines in other states, such as Georgia. If this firm is wrong and there’s nothing to hide, then I’m sure Democrats, state officials and the media will join me in this call for full transparency and the public’s right to know. Right?
When Will Voters Wise-Up?
H.L. Mencken once wrote, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” In blue states like California and New York, the people who voted in far-left “progressive” Democrats are definitely getting it good and hard, but unfortunately, so are the people who got outvoted.
There’s a lot of complaining, but will any of it result in voters making the mental connection between the incompetent, oppressive leaders who are destroying their lives and livelihoods and their own reflexive checking of the “D” boxes on ballots? So far, experience isn’t offering much hope. Kim Klacik heavily lost her bid for Congress in Baltimore to an old-line Democratic Party insider, despite giving one of the most effective demonstrations I’ve ever seen of the direct connection between decades of Democrat “governance” and the horrendous conditions the people are living under.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
And now, here’s a story about New York City business owners and workers who are being driven into poverty by endless, pointless Democrat lockdowns and policies hostile to businesses.
One thing that haunts them is that Amazon wanted to open a headquarters on Staten Island that would have created 25,000 jobs. When the pandemic hit and Americans needed everything delivered, Amazon soared and might have added thousands more workers. But the planned site of that installation is still just an area of empty urban blight because Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other “progressive” politicians drove away Amazon (AOC even celebrated that). They didn’t want those evil capitalists exploiting the masses by hiring them! Another planned use of the property that promised to create jobs was also scuttled by leftwing politicians making impossible demands and fighting to block “gentrification.”
There are some humorous but unrepeatable quotes about AOC, Mayor DeBlasio and others from business owners — but AOC was up for reelection just last month, after she killed the Amazon project and 10 months into the pandemic. What happened? She was reelected with nearly 72% of the vote.
Still, that was less than 153,000 votes in a district where the population is over 706,000. If enough voters had turned out and dared to break the “pull the (D) lever” habit, they might actually have a Representative who cares more about their suffering than promoting her socialist agenda and herself in the media. But they didn’t.
At least DeBlasio is facing term limits. But will New Yorkers actually wise up, the way they did when they elected Guiliani to clean up the mess left by DeBlasio’s mentor, David Dinkins? Or will they vote for yet another leftist? Will they find one who’s even worse, if such a thing is possible?
Since I started with a quote, I’d like to end with one. But I can’t decide between Edmund Burke or Ron White. So I’ll quote both.
“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” — Edmund Burke
“You can’t fix stupid.” — Ron White
Georgia, It’s Up to You
The electors are set to meet today and are expected to vote to make Joe Biden President. Meanwhile, President Trump is continuing to pursue challenges to the votes in key swing states. While his supporters still have hope, his longshot bid is getting longer. It’s now being talked about not just as a fight to keep Trump in the White House, but a fight to protect all future elections, to force the institutions that are supposed to ensure our elections are honest to do their jobs.
Judging from polls that show 47% of Americans believe the election was stolen (and that even includes about 30% of Democrats), something has to be done to reassure Americans that their votes count and the fix isn’t in, and telling them “You’re crazy! You’re wrong! Shut up, you’re not allowed to talk about it!” isn’t convincing anybody of anything, other than that the people saying that have something they’re trying to hide.
But if it is true that America is about to face the scary prospect of a Biden Presidency (even scarier when you consider who will really be running things), the two runoff races to determine control of the Senate in Georgia are looking more and more like the last chance America has to dodge a wave of disastrous leftist policies, some of which (like stacking the Supreme Court or bringing in more rubber-stamp Democrat states) would be irreversible.
And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it appears that Republicans aren’t taking that threat seriously enough. I fear they may be walking toward a wood chipper with their eyes closed. Stacy Abrams is bragging that the Dems have generated 1.2 million absentee ballot requests, 85,000 of them from new voters (you can imagine what that means). Polls show the Democrats rising, even as their radicalism is becoming more obvious by the day. Meanwhile, the Republicans are in disarray, with some people foolishly calling for boycotting the election to express anger over the Trump vote count. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face! Trump has strongly denounced that and even traveled to Georgia to urge people to turn out to support Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue.
Early voting starts today in Georgia for the January runoffs. It is vitally important if you are in Georgia that you vote, and get every Republican you know to vote, even if you have to drive them to the polls yourself. Volunteer for get-out-the-vote efforts and for poll-watching, because Heaven knows we’ll need to watch those polls like hawks.
I’m going to direct you to today’s must-read, by Neil Patel at Real Clear Politics. It’s titled, “Republicans are Blowing It in Georgia, and We May All Pay the Price.” I pray he’s being too pessimistic, but I also pray that this will light a fire under Republicans who are sitting on the fence and get them motivated to get out and fight for those seats.
In this article, Patel outlines some of what Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and a Joe Biden Administration are itching to do to America if they have even the most microscopic majority in the Senate.
I agree with Patel that I can’t believe the majority of Georgia voters want what the Democrats are planning to do to them and the rest of us, which should horrify anyone to the right of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But they need to be told the consequences in no uncertain terms.
Remember the polls showing that Joe Biden would have lost in a landslide if his voters had actually known some of the things about him that the media and social media kept hidden? Well, it’s obvious we can’t depend on them to tell Georgia voters the truth about Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock or what their elections would mean in terms of raising taxes, opening the borders, seizing guns, trampling First Amendment speech and religious freedom rights, cementing fraudulent voting practices and more.
Now, Georgians, it’s up to you. They haven’t yet figured out a way to censor phone calls, emails, letters and personal conversations. So read this, have your eyes opened, and spread it to everyone you know.
Speaking of Stacy Abrams
Speaking of Stacy Abrams, Rick Moran at PJ Media reports that she is incensed at Republicans comparing her refusal to concede her 2018 Georgia Governor’s race loss to President Trump challenging the 2020 vote counts.
She’s actually correct (maybe for the first time) in claiming they’re completely different situations. For instance, Abrams lost by a substantial enough margin that it didn’t even require a recount. But as Moran points out, the major difference is that Trump argues that he lost because illegal ballots from invisible voters shouldn’t be counted. Abrams thinks she lost because illegal ballots from invisible voters should be counted.
Double Standard Time
And as long as we’re discussing hypocrisy over challenging elections, a hat tip to Instapundit for digging this up.
Last week, New Jersey Democrat Rep. Bill Pascrell accused 120 GOP House members who supported the Texas lawsuit challenging the legality of the election processes in four states of “insurrection” and demanded that Speaker Pelosi refuse to seat them. Turns out this was the same Bill Pascrell who in 2017 tried to force the House to create an independent commission to investigate (non-existent) collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia, apparently because he thought the 2016 election was illegitimate. As we always say, “If it weren’t for double standards, they’d have no standards at all.”
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--2020-12-15--The Right Way: His Righteousness

The Right Way: His Righteousness

Note from James Robison , Stream publisher : We have many reasons to be concerned about the national challenges we face , and they go far beyond the economy .
We are reaping the consequences of what has been sown in personal and collective lives .
Necessary changes will be made by changed people who are led by wisdom from above and purpose-inspired living—God ’ s purpose .
Do not blame a person who has been elected , a party , the media or any highly visible person of influence for our problems .
And do not be tricked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope .
The Lord is our hope , and Christ revealed in the fullness of His life—love , joy and peace expressed through us—will lead to purposeful , principled choices .
We must learn from the past but look to the future while trusting God for wisdom , guidance , protection and provision .
We fear no evil while trusting the Lord to deliver us personally and nationally from its evil and adverse effects .
The following outline of truths , shared by the late Dr. Dallas Willard to church leaders who met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the power of Christ ’ s righteousness and how we can become the “ city set on a hill that can not be hid ” : When the Righteous Become Great , the People Rejoice It is the task of Christ ’ s people to produce righteous people spread throughout the population of the earth : “ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations , baptizing them in the name of the Father , the Son and the Holy Spirit [ in the power of His manifest presence ] , teaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commanded you.
” ( Matt .
28:19-20 ) Righteous people must be made .
They must be taught and trained .
They are not born .
Righteous people are people who routinely act in the character and power of Jesus Christ , because of transformation of all dimensions of their personality—heart , soul , mind , strength and social relations .
( Mark 12:29-31 ) They do not work by human force , but by divine influence working all around them through who they are , what they do and what they say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) They are bearers of the kingdom of God to their surroundings .
( Luke 10:9-11 ) 1 .
The Way of Humility “ If My people , over whom My name is called , humble themselves and pray , and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways , then I will hear from heaven , will forgive their sin , and will heal their land.
” ( 2 Chron .
7:14 ) Humbling themselves , etc.
, is not a “ day ” but a “ way.
” It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is a matter of an identifiable group of people living in dependence upon God , constantly calling out to and listening to Him , making it a point to live before His manifest presence , and doing what they know to be right and good before God .
These are the “ righteous.
” They are the ones who build their house upon the “ Rock.
” ( Matt .
7:24-25 ) They “ hear and do.
” But this life must be taught and learned .
And today our standard is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disciples ( students , apprentices ) of Jesus .
Hence , our congregations and groups are not centers for the production of righteous people who live their lives in the kingdom of God .
That is not what those groups are about .
The essential message they now present is about escaping punishment from sin , not about escaping sin .
The “ good news ” presented is that Jesus took your punishment , and if you will trust that you will not be punished .
This has nothing essentially to do with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and you can be “ saved , ” according to this message , even though you are quite unrighteous—just how unrighteous is left unclear .
( “ Christians aren ’ t perfect , just forgiven ” —bumper sticker theology ) Is forgiveness good news ?
Indeed it is , and guilt must be dealt with .
But Jesus is and brings good news about life , not primarily about death and hereafter .
The New Testament gospel is about life now in the kingdom of God .
That is what he preached and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23 , etc .
etc . )
That is what the “ birth from above ” ( John 3 ) is about .
That is what Paul preached and taught .
( Acts 20:25 & 28:23-31 , Rom .
14:17 ) Those who are Christ ’ s have been “ delivered by God from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son.
” ( Col. 1:13 ) What is the kingdom of God ?
It is God in action , God “ reigning , ” it is where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of God ’ s effective will .
The “ good news ” is that Jesus the Door and the Way has opened this domain to all who trust Him—not just trust something he did or said .
And trusting Him naturally leads to becoming his apprentice in kingdom living .
As Jesus ’ apprentice I am learning from him how to lead my life in the Kingdom of God as he would lead my life if he were I .
The outcome is that “ those who receive the abundance of grace and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in life through the One , Jesus Christ.
” ( Rom .
5:17 ) Hence , the picture of the righteous life in Christ given .
( Col. 3:1-17 ) Take a moment to just imagine what this kind of life would mean for our public life today .
For our “ church life.
” 4 .
The Whole Life With God “ The blessing of Abraham ” ( Gal .
3:14 , Gen. 28:4 ) is not just the forgiveness of sins , but whole life lived within the action or kingdom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nervous neighbor ) said , “ God is with you in all that you do.
” That is “ the blessing of Abraham ” spoken of by Paul in Galatians 3 .
Not just forgiveness of sins by faith , but life covered by the Spirit in the Kingdom of God .
Not just miracles .
Not just prosperity .
These are dimensions of the whole life that Abraham lived “ with God.
” The “ With God Life ” is the life of the righteous person .
Now once again : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From gatherings of disciples in Trinitarian presence , undergoing transformation of every dimension of their being so that they routinely and easily do the things that Jesus commanded .
The people thus formed are , of course , already in “ the public square.
” That is where they live— “ Oaks of righteousness.
” ( Is .
61:3 ) There they stand in the character and power of Christ doing what is right and good in every domain , private and public .
To see this happen , we have only to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preached , in the manner he preached it , and make disciples ( not “ Christians ” only ) , and teach them in such a way that they do what Jesus told us to do—not legalistically , but because of who they have become in their companionship with Jesus .
But this will be a battle , for it lies at a great distance from what is now accepted practice among Christians , and the forces of evil are arrayed against it at many levels of “ world ” organization .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most important to win , is within “ the church ” itself .
When we become in Christ what you just read , His light will reveal clearly what we are to turn from and what we must turn toward personally and nationally in order that we can continually be a blessing to our neighbors , our nation and the nations of the world .
Dr. Dallas Willard was hailed as an icon of Christian scholarship .
He was Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at USC Dornsife , having taught at the School of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also an award-winning writer .
One of his most beloved books is The Divine Conspiracy : Rediscovering our Hidden Life in God ( HarperOne , 1998 ) .

Note from James Robison, Stream Publisher: We have many reasons to be concerned about the national challenges we face, and they go far beyond the November 3 election. We have been reaping the consequences of what has been sown in personal and collective lives for many years. Positive changes and corrections have occurred in many ways the last few years, because wisdom was received and proven-to-work principles were put back in place, bringing meaningful results. The most important changes will be made by changed people who are led by wisdom from above and purpose-inspired living — God’s purpose.
Do not blame a person who has been elected, a party, the media or highly visible individuals of influence for our problems, or give any one person too much credit for positive change. And do not be manipulated into looking to any politician or party for hope. The Lord is our hope, and Christ revealed in the fullness of His life — love, joy and peace expressed through us — will lead to purposeful, principled choices.
Never forget, it is only the church — the body of Christ — that the gates of Hell, deception and destruction cannot prevail against. Christ in us is the only hope for His glory and grace to be revealed to people groping in darkness. We must learn from the past but look to the future while trusting God for wisdom, guidance, protection and provision. We fear no evil while trusting the Lord to deliver us personally and nationally from the divisive, adverse effects of the evil one, Satan.
The following outline of truths, shared by the late Dr. Dallas Willard to church leaders who met at LIFE Outreach in 2011, emphasizes the power of Christ’s righteousness and how we can become the “city set on a hill that cannot be hid.” Many of the highly respected church leaders who attended this conference were part of the faith council of pastors and leaders who shared biblical principles and wisdom with national leaders, including the President at his personal request. Everyone was greatly impacted, and every Christian should take these lessons to heart.
When the Righteous Become Great, the People Rejoice
It is the task of Christ’s people to produce righteous people spread throughout the population of the earth: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit [in the power of His manifest presence], teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:19-20)
Righteous people must be made. They must be taught and trained. They are not born.
Righteous people are people who routinely act in the character and power of Jesus Christ, because of transformation of all dimensions of their personality—heart, soul, mind, strength and social relations. (Mark 12:29-31)
They do not work by human force, but by divine influence working all around them through who they are, what they do and what they say. (John 7:38; Acts 1:8) They are bearers of the kingdom of God to their surroundings. (Luke 10:9-11)
1. The Way of Humility
“If My people, over whom My name is called, humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14)
Humbling themselves, etc., is not a “day” but a “way.” It is not an episode but a life. It is a matter of an identifiable group of people living in dependence upon God, constantly calling out to and listening to Him, making it a point to live before His manifest presence, and doing what they know to be right and good before God. These are the “righteous.” They are the ones who build their house upon the “Rock.” (Matt. 7:24-25) They “hear and do.”
2. Discipleship, Not Just “Saved”
But this life must be taught and learned. And today our standard is professing “Christians” who are not disciples (students, apprentices) of Jesus. Hence, our congregations and groups are not centers for the production of righteous people who live their lives in the kingdom of God. That is not what those groups are about. The essential message they now present is about escaping punishment from sin, not about escaping sin. The “good news” presented is that Jesus took your punishment, and if you will trust that you will not be punished. This has nothing essentially to do with the kind of person you become, and you can be “saved,” according to this message, even though you are quite unrighteous—just how unrighteous is left unclear. (“Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven”—bumper sticker theology)
3. The Kingdom of God
Is forgiveness good news? Indeed it is, and guilt must be dealt with. But Jesus is and brings good news about life, not primarily about death and hereafter. The New Testament gospel is about life now in the kingdom of God. That is what he preached and practiced. (Matt. 4:17 & 23, etc. etc.) That is what the “birth from above” (John 3) is about. That is what Paul preached and taught. (Acts 20:25 & 28:23-31, Rom. 14:17) Those who are Christ’s have been “delivered by God from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son.” (Col. 1:13)
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
What is the kingdom of God? It is God in action, God “reigning,” it is where what God wants done is done—the range of God’s effective will. The “good news” is that Jesus the Door and the Way has opened this domain to all who trust Him—not just trust something he did or said. And trusting Him naturally leads to becoming his apprentice in kingdom living. As Jesus’ apprentice I am learning from him how to lead my life in the Kingdom of God as he would lead my life if he were I. The outcome is that “those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:17) Hence, the picture of the righteous life in Christ given. (Col. 3:1-17) Take a moment to just imagine what this kind of life would mean for our public life today. For our “church life.”
4. The Whole Life With God
“The blessing of Abraham” (Gal. 3:14, Gen. 28:4) is not just the forgiveness of sins, but whole life lived within the action or kingdom of God. Abimelech (Abraham’s nervous neighbor) said, “God is with you in all that you do.” That is “the blessing of Abraham” spoken of by Paul in Galatians 3. Not just forgiveness of sins by faith, but life covered by the Spirit in the Kingdom of God. Not just miracles. Not just prosperity. These are dimensions of the whole life that Abraham lived “with God.” The “With God Life” is the life of the righteous person.
5. Complete Transformation
Now once again: Where do righteous people come from? From gatherings of disciples in Trinitarian presence, undergoing transformation of every dimension of their being so that they routinely and easily do the things that Jesus commanded.
The people thus formed are, of course, already in “the public square.” That is where they live—“Oaks of righteousness.” (Is. 61:3) There they stand in the character and power of Christ doing what is right and good in every domain, private and public.
To see this happen, we have only to preach the good news that Jesus Himself preached, in the manner he preached it, and make disciples (not “Christians” only), and teach them in such a way that they do what Jesus told us to do—not legalistically, but because of who they have become in their companionship with Jesus.
6. The Most Important Battle
But this will be a battle, for it lies at a great distance from what is now accepted practice among Christians, and the forces of evil are arrayed against it at many levels of “world” organization. But the first battle, and the one most important to win, is within “the church” itself.
When we become in Christ what you just read, His light will reveal clearly what we are to turn from and what we must turn toward personally and nationally in order that we can continually be a blessing to our neighbors, our nation and the nations of the world.
Dr. Dallas Willard was hailed as an icon of Christian scholarship. He was Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at USC Dornsife, having taught at the School of Philosophy from 1965 to 2012. Willard was also an award-winning writer. One of his most beloved books is The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering our Hidden Life in God (HarperOne, 1998).