thestream--2020-06-26--Cancel Culture Is Insatiable. But Statues Remind Us We Must Look Back

When the mobs came for the Confederate generals , most of us shrugged .
Who wanted to defend the Confederacy ?
More to the point , who wanted to defend dead men and bad causes ?
It was not a hill worth dying on .
There were other hills and other statues .
And as it turned out , the mob was heading in that direction next .
Out With the Old I think we all knew that the smashing would continue .
Cancel culture is an insatiable beast , and if radical feminists can get canceled , what chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Churchill , boxed up in London like a discarded decoration ?
Or the Abraham Lincoln statue vandalized nearby ?
Or George Washington , who was toppled and set alight with a burning American flag ?
Robert E. Lee had to go because he fought to defend slavery .
U.S. Grant , the man who beat him , was torn down because … because maybe this isn ’ t about past sins , after all .
This is about rage , iconoclasm and revolution .
One indicator is the selectiveness of the smashing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s statue at the Natural History Museum is coming down .
Not the Roosevelt who opened internment camps for Japanese-Americans , mind you .
The other one .
A statue of Hans Christian Heg near the Capitol , an anti-slavery activist and member of an anti-slavery militia , was also torn down .
Protesters are also agitating for the destruction of the Emancipation Monument , featuring Lincoln and several freed slaves .
It was built with donations from former slaves , dedicated on the 11th anniversary of Lincoln ’ s death by Frederick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The protesters feel it is too “ paternalistic.
” They don ’ t see the irony of invalidating the sentiments of former slaves .
In With the New ?
It may be that all common ground has vanished , and that the only thing left to do is to keep the barbarians away from the Lincoln Memorial .
But perhaps there are just a few people left who might consider a different solution to all of this .
Perhaps instead of tearing statues down , we could launch an initiative to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harder than bashing .
But there are many great Americans that deserve to be remembered .
And remembering them would help to remind us of what America is all about .
For example , to my knowledge there is currently only one statue of Phillis Wheatley — in Boston .
Wheatley is both exceptional and unknown to most Americans .
Although she died 11 years after her emancipation in 1784 at the young age of 31 , Wheatley achieved the distinction of being the first African American female poet to be published in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sold into slavery in the 1760s , she later became a Christian .
Her Christianity was often the subject of her poems ( which numbered around 145 ) .
As historian Thomas Kidd recently noted , Wheatley powerfully condemned slavery — while writing her most well-known poem about a slave owner .
Her 1770 “ An Elegiac Poem , on the Death of that Celebrated Divine , and Eminent Servant of Jesus Christ , George Whitefield ” paid tribute to the great evangelist .
It reads in part : Wheatley ’ s work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statues of her around , perhaps we could do a better job of remembering her .
If a statue of William Still exists , I can not find it .
Born in Burlington Country , New Jersey in 1821 , Still became one of America ’ s most prominent abolitionists .
His father and mother had both been slaves .
In 1844 , Still moved to Philadelphia .
In 1847 , Still began working as a clerk for the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery .
He aided escaped slaves , often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way north .
One turned out to be his older brother Peter .
His mother had been forced to leave him behind when she escaped 40 years earlier .
Still ’ s 1872 book The Underground Railroad , based on his records and reminiscences , is one of the most important historical documents we possess .
While recognizing the many white abolitionists , Still noted the sterling courage of the slaves who struggled for their own freedom .
Still helped at least 800 slaves escape to freedom .
( He purportedly paid for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , too . )
He also gave us an essential history , and spent his adult life agitating for the rights of African Americans .
Still fought for voting rights , against segregation and eventually for universal suffrage .
He was also a temperance advocate and set up a mission Sabbath School for the Presbyterian Church .
Perhaps a few statues of Still could induce a few Americans to read his essential book .
That alone would be worth the price .
Harriet Tubman is one of the few figures of this period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statues of Tubman have been set up across the US .
I would like to propose that a Tubman statue be set up in Washington , DC as well .
She is , without doubt , one of the greatest figures in American history .
In 1849 , she made the 90-mile trek from Maryland to Philadelphia — alone .
Then , against all advice , she headed back .
Between 1850 and 1860 Tubman returned to the South at least 13 times .
She guided at least 80 slaves to freedom .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents .
Some say she guided hundreds .
As a conductor on the Underground Railroad , she never lost a passenger .
She became known as the “ Moses ” of her people .
Her Christian faith made Tubman fearless .
“ Great fears were entertained for her safety , but she seemed wholly devoid of personal fear , ” Still marveled .
“ The idea of being captured by slave hunters or slave holders never seemed to enter her mind .
She was apparently proof against all adversaries.
” When the Civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Union Army .
At one point , she led three Union steamboats around Confederate landmines in the Combahee River .
Several plantations were destroyed and 750 slaves were freed .
Tubman became the only woman to lead men into combat during the Civil War .
Every step of the way , Tubman believed that God was leading her .
“ I always tole God , ‘ I ’ m gwine [ going ] to hole stiddy on you , an ’ you ’ ve got to see me through , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garrett said : “ I never met nay person of color who had more confidence in the voice of God.
” There are several statues today of Frederick Douglass .
I visited one of them in Rochester , New York earlier this year when I went to his gravesite .
Douglass is nearly as well-known as Tubman , but more statues of this great man would help in promoting his work .
His memoir , which I read at the age of 13 , is simply stunning .
His condemnation of the hypocrisy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : After securing his freedom , Douglass became an abolitionist leader in Philadelphia .
He was a pastor at the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church .
After his writing gained attention , he became a speaker for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society .
From 1847 to 1851 he published his own newspaper , The North Star .
He recruited for the Massachusetts 54th regiment for the Union Army .
These recruits included his own son .
He met with Lincoln twice to discuss treatment of colored soldiers .
For the rest of his life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom causes .
His 1852 speech “ What to the Slave is your Fourth of July ?
” is considered one of the greatest anti-slavery speeches ever written .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
He predicted that slavery would end in war by quoting Isaiah to the crowd : “ And when ye spread forth your hands , I will hide mine eyes from you : yea , when ye make many prayers , I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of blood.
” And there are so many others that deserve to be remembered , abolitionists both black and white .
The history of America is not only that of injustice and oppression .
It is also of the fight for a better union and the better angels of our nature .
I could list dozens of great men and women who deserve our remembrance .
But I suspect that these people , with their Christianity and their conviction and their courage , are not what the iconoclasts want .
It is those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are rebelling against .
Watching the scenes of destruction unfold across America , I was reminded of an observation by G.K. Chesterton in What ’ s Wrong with the World : The modern mind is forced towards the future by a certain sense of fatigue , not unmixed with terror , with which it regards the past .
It is propelled towards the coming time ; it is , in the exact words of the popular phrase , knocked into the middle of next week .
And the goad which drives it on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ futurity .
Futurity does not exist , because it is still future .
Rather it is a fear of the past ; a fear not merely of the evil in the past , but of the good in the past also .
The brain breaks down under the unbearable virtue of mankind .
There have been so many flaming faiths that we can not hold ; so many harsh heroisms that we can not imitate ; so many great efforts of monumental building or of military glory which seem to us at once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a refuge from the fierce competition of our forefathers .
The older generation , not the younger , is knocking at our door … the future is a blank wall on which every man can write his own name as large as he likes ; the past I find already covered with illegible scribbles , such as Plato , Isaiah , Shakespeare , Michelangelo , Napoleon .
I can make the future as narrow as myself ; the past is obliged to be as broad and turbulent as humanity .
And the upshot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : that men invent new ideals because they dare not attempt old ideals .
They look forward with enthusiasm , because they are afraid to look back.
” But we must look back .
The solution to this moment is not to smash everything down .
We should be expanding the pantheon of heroes while recognizing that they were still sinful humans .
And each statue should remind everyone of a sentiment expressed by the unparalleled Langston Hughes : Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker , writer and pro-life activist .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Seeing Is Believing : Why Our Culture Must Face the Victims of Abortion , and co-author of A Guide to Discussing Assisted Suicide .

When the mobs came for the Confederate generals, most of us shrugged. Who wanted to defend the Confederacy? More to the point, who wanted to defend dead men and bad causes? It was not a hill worth dying on. There were other hills and other statues. And as it turned out, the mob was heading in that direction next.
Out With the Old
I think we all knew that the smashing would continue. Cancel culture is an insatiable beast, and if radical feminists can get canceled, what chance did Christopher Columbus have? Or Winston Churchill, boxed up in London like a discarded decoration? Or the Abraham Lincoln statue vandalized nearby? Or George Washington, who was toppled and set alight with a burning American flag?
Robert E. Lee had to go because he fought to defend slavery. U.S. Grant, the man who beat him, was torn down because … because maybe this isn’t about past sins, after all. This is about rage, iconoclasm and revolution. One indicator is the selectiveness of the smashing. Margaret Sanger stayed up. Roosevelt’s statue at the Natural History Museum is coming down. Not the Roosevelt who opened internment camps for Japanese-Americans, mind you. The other one.
But we must look back. The solution to this moment is not to smash everything down.
A statue of Hans Christian Heg near the Capitol, an anti-slavery activist and member of an anti-slavery militia, was also torn down. Protesters are also agitating for the destruction of the Emancipation Monument, featuring Lincoln and several freed slaves. It was built with donations from former slaves, dedicated on the 11th anniversary of Lincoln’s death by Frederick Douglass. 25,000 people attended the dedication. The protesters feel it is too “paternalistic.” They don’t see the irony of invalidating the sentiments of former slaves.
In With the New?
It may be that all common ground has vanished, and that the only thing left to do is to keep the barbarians away from the Lincoln Memorial. But perhaps there are just a few people left who might consider a different solution to all of this. Perhaps instead of tearing statues down, we could launch an initiative to put more up. Granted, building is harder than bashing. But there are many great Americans that deserve to be remembered. And remembering them would help to remind us of what America is all about.
Phillis Wheatley
For example, to my knowledge there is currently only one statue of Phillis Wheatley — in Boston. Wheatley is both exceptional and unknown to most Americans. Although she died 11 years after her emancipation in 1784 at the young age of 31, Wheatley achieved the distinction of being the first African American female poet to be published in America. Born in West Africa and sold into slavery in the 1760s, she later became a Christian. Her Christianity was often the subject of her poems (which numbered around 145).
As historian Thomas Kidd recently noted, Wheatley powerfully condemned slavery — while writing her most well-known poem about a slave owner. Her 1770 “An Elegiac Poem, on the Death of that Celebrated Divine, and Eminent Servant of Jesus Christ, George Whitefield” paid tribute to the great evangelist. It reads in part:
Hail, happy Saint, on thy immortal throne!
To thee complaints of grievance are unknown;
We hear no more the music of thy tongue,
Thy wonted auditories cease to throng.
Thy lessons in unequal’d accents flow’d!
While emulation in each bosom glow’d;
Thou didst, in strains of eloquence refin’d,
Inflame the soul, and captivate the mind.
Unhappy we, the setting Sun deplore!
Which once was splendid, but it shines no more;
He leaves this earth for Heav’n’s unmeasur’d height,
And worlds unknown, receive him from our sight;
There Whitefield wings, with rapid course his way,
And sails to Zion, through vast seas of day.
Wheatley’s work was magnificent. With a few more statues of her around, perhaps we could do a better job of remembering her.
William Still
If a statue of William Still exists, I cannot find it. Born in Burlington Country, New Jersey in 1821, Still became one of America’s most prominent abolitionists. His father and mother had both been slaves. In 1844, Still moved to Philadelphia. In 1847, Still began working as a clerk for the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery. He aided escaped slaves, often giving them shelter as they made their way north. One turned out to be his older brother Peter. His mother had been forced to leave him behind when she escaped 40 years earlier. Still’s 1872 book The Underground Railroad, based on his records and reminiscences, is one of the most important historical documents we possess. While recognizing the many white abolitionists, Still noted the sterling courage of the slaves who struggled for their own freedom.
Still helped at least 800 slaves escape to freedom. (He purportedly paid for some of Harriet Tubman’s missions, too.) He also gave us an essential history, and spent his adult life agitating for the rights of African Americans. Still fought for voting rights, against segregation and eventually for universal suffrage. He was also a temperance advocate and set up a mission Sabbath School for the Presbyterian Church.
Perhaps a few statues of Still could induce a few Americans to read his essential book. That alone would be worth the price.
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman is one of the few figures of this period that is receiving her due. Nine statues of Tubman have been set up across the US. I would like to propose that a Tubman statue be set up in Washington, DC as well. She is, without doubt, one of the greatest figures in American history. In 1849, she made the 90-mile trek from Maryland to Philadelphia — alone. Then, against all advice, she headed back. Between 1850 and 1860 Tubman returned to the South at least 13 times. She guided at least 80 slaves to freedom. Among them were her siblings and her parents. Some say she guided hundreds. As a conductor on the Underground Railroad, she never lost a passenger. She became known as the “Moses” of her people.
Her Christian faith made Tubman fearless. “Great fears were entertained for her safety, but she seemed wholly devoid of personal fear,” Still marveled. “The idea of being captured by slave hunters or slave holders never seemed to enter her mind. She was apparently proof against all adversaries.” When the Civil War began, Tubman became a spy for the Union Army. At one point, she led three Union steamboats around Confederate landmines in the Combahee River. Several plantations were destroyed and 750 slaves were freed. Tubman became the only woman to lead men into combat during the Civil War.
Every step of the way, Tubman believed that God was leading her. “I always tole God, ‘I’m gwine [going] to hole stiddy on you, an’ you’ve got to see me through,” she said later. As abolitionist Thomas Garrett said: “I never met nay person of color who had more confidence in the voice of God.”
Frederick Douglass
There are several statues today of Frederick Douglass. I visited one of them in Rochester, New York earlier this year when I went to his gravesite. Douglass is nearly as well-known as Tubman, but more statues of this great man would help in promoting his work. His memoir, which I read at the age of 13, is simply stunning. His condemnation of the hypocrisy of white Christians is still chilling today:
We have men sold to build churches, women sold to support the gospel and babes sold to purchase Bibles for the poor heathen! All for the glory of God and the good of souls! The slave auctioneer’s bell and the church-going bell chime in with each other, and the bitter cries of the heart-broken slave are drowned in the religious shouts of his pious master. Revivals of religion and revivals of the slave trade go hand in hand.
After securing his freedom, Douglass became an abolitionist leader in Philadelphia. He was a pastor at the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. After his writing gained attention, he became a speaker for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. From 1847 to 1851 he published his own newspaper, The North Star. He recruited for the Massachusetts 54th regiment for the Union Army. These recruits included his own son. He met with Lincoln twice to discuss treatment of colored soldiers. For the rest of his life, he held a well-deserved prominence in freedom causes. His 1852 speech “What to the Slave is your Fourth of July?” is considered one of the greatest anti-slavery speeches ever written.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
He predicted that slavery would end in war by quoting Isaiah to the crowd: “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.”
They Deserve our Remembrance
And there are so many others that deserve to be remembered, abolitionists both black and white. The history of America is not only that of injustice and oppression. It is also of the fight for a better union and the better angels of our nature. I could list dozens of great men and women who deserve our remembrance. But I suspect that these people, with their Christianity and their conviction and their courage, are not what the iconoclasts want. It is those values, in part, that they are rebelling against. Watching the scenes of destruction unfold across America, I was reminded of an observation by G.K. Chesterton in What’s Wrong with the World:
The modern mind is forced towards the future by a certain sense of fatigue, not unmixed with terror, with which it regards the past. It is propelled towards the coming time; it is, in the exact words of the popular phrase, knocked into the middle of next week. And the goad which drives it on thus eagerly is not an affectation for futurity. Futurity does not exist, because it is still future. Rather it is a fear of the past; a fear not merely of the evil in the past, but of the good in the past also. The brain breaks down under the unbearable virtue of mankind. There have been so many flaming faiths that we cannot hold; so many harsh heroisms that we cannot imitate; so many great efforts of monumental building or of military glory which seem to us at once sublime and pathetic. The future is a refuge from the fierce competition of our forefathers. The older generation, not the younger, is knocking at our door … the future is a blank wall on which every man can write his own name as large as he likes; the past I find already covered with illegible scribbles, such as Plato, Isaiah, Shakespeare, Michelangelo, Napoleon. I can make the future as narrow as myself; the past is obliged to be as broad and turbulent as humanity. And the upshot of this modern attitude is really this: that men invent new ideals because they dare not attempt old ideals. They look forward with enthusiasm, because they are afraid to look back.”
But we must look back. The solution to this moment is not to smash everything down. We should be expanding the pantheon of heroes while recognizing that they were still sinful humans. And each statue should remind everyone of a sentiment expressed by the unparalleled Langston Hughes:
I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong. I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then. Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed — I , too, am America.
Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer and pro-life activist. He is the author of The Culture War and Seeing Is Believing: Why Our Culture Must Face the Victims of Abortion, and co-author of A Guide to Discussing Assisted Suicide.


thestream--2020-06-26--Panic Over Title VII Case Could Prove More Disastrous Than Actual Decision

Earlier this month , Justice Neil Gorsuch ’ s opinion in Bostock v. Clayton County established that Title VII protects employees from being fired because they are gay or transgender .
Since the decision , a number of people have grimly announced that Gorsuch has betrayed the Constitution and ushered in the end of religious liberty in America .
You should not listen to them .
I have published academic work on law and religion and closely followed the Court ’ s hearings and decisions on religious liberty for years .
The reality is that , in recent cases on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a trajectory of success for Christians .
We are also approaching much greater protection for religious freedom , unless — and possibly even if — President Trump is defeated in November .
I am not saying that Bostock poses zero challenges for the church : I expect that someone at the ACLU is already scheming to use Bostock as a bludgeon against Christians .
My claim is that , when this scheme makes its way to the Supreme Court , the ACLU will lose — as they have lost similar cases over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which this might not happen is if Democrats reclaim the White House and Senate in November , escalate their recent threats against the Court , and bully the justices into bowing to their will .
This threat to the Court is very real .
Worse , many on the right do not realize how much worse things could get if Democrats were able to compromise the Court .
Claiming that the Court is already left-wing is dangerous and irresponsible , as it may cause conservatives to quit fighting .
The Panic About @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Basic Constitutional Law The doom-and-gloom lamentations of some Christians about Bostock rest on serious mistakes about the way American law works .
Most importantly , many Christians have failed to distinguish between two different sources of law : Title VII and the U.S. Constitution .
Gorsuch ’ s opinion in Bostock only answered the question of what the words of Title VII mean .
It did not say anything about whether Title VII might violate the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment in some cases .
This distinction — between interpreting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — comes up all the time in U.S. law .
For example , consider requirements that pastors , rabbis , and imams be male .
Title VII prohibits all sex discrimination , period .
It has no exception allowing religious groups to consider sex for religious reasons .
This means that biblical Christian denominations , Orthodox Jewish groups , and Muslim organizations are technically violating Title VII by requiring that their congregations be led by men .
So why haven ’ t courts ordered churches to abandon biblical views about gender ?
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Title VII , but in how they read the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment .
As the liberal Justice Stephen Breyer has said , it is “ obvious ” that the Constitution would not allow the government to force a church to hire a female pastor .
In Bostock , Gorsuch did not redefine the word “ sex ” beyond its biological meaning .
He simply reasoned that , if you have fired an employee for being gay , then you must have considered whether the employee is male or female @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this reasoning , it does not make Neil Gorsuch some sort of wicked enemy of Christianity .
In the same way , it does not make me a feminist when I state that Title VII prohibits all sex discrimination .
Real treachery on the Court would be a finding that Title VII can be used to force religious groups and businesses to violate traditional religious beliefs .
There are very good reasons to expect that the Roberts Court will not do this .
As Gorsuch pointed out , while future cases may involve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consideration , ” none of the employers in Bostock relied upon “ religious liberties in any way.
” Supreme Court Politics Can Be More Complicated Than Republicans vs. Democrats It ’ s not hard to understand why conservatives are panicking about Gorsuch .
There is a long history of Republican-appointed justices moving to the left after being placed on the Court , including Justices Warren , Blackmun , Stevens , Kennedy and Souter .
This probably has less to do with Republicans being bamboozled and more to do with agreeable justices being influenced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , D.C .
But Free Exercise law is more than a simple left-versus-right issue .
The late Justice Antonin Scalia was , somewhat by accident , the single greatest enemy of religious liberty in America in the last 100 years .
With his 1990 opinion in Employment Division v. Smith , Scalia made it virtually impossible for anyone to bring forth a Free Exercise claim .
His decision directly caused every defeat for Christians in religious liberty cases since it was issued , including the loss by Elaine Huguenin — a Christian wedding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a same-sex wedding — in New Mexico state court .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
On the other hand , some liberal justices can be sympathetic to Christians who bring Free Exercise cases .
This is most true of Obama-appointee Justice Elena Kagan , a practicing Conservative Jew , who has repeatedly sided with evangelical Christians .
In one case where the Obama DOJ attempted to exert control over churches , Kagan said she found the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ amazing ” — something she did not mean as a compliment .
Kagan also joined the majority opinion in Masterpiece Cakeshop , which held that Colorado officials could not use their hostility to Christianity in making a government decision .
Under John Roberts , the Court has taken steps to limit the damage done by Employment Division v. Smith .
In 2012 , Roberts wrote a unanimous opinion allowing a church to fire a teacher for violating 1 Corinthians 6 — the biggest victory for the Free Exercise Clause since 1943 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court since a Calvin Coolidge appointee was chief justice .
Roberts is not the liberal sellout that he is sometimes made out to be .
While Roberts sometimes votes with the left , he usually does so with a larger political end in view .
Although Roberts angered conservatives by upholding Obamacare , his opinion in that case helped to limit the government ’ s power under the Commerce Clause — something that very few other cases have done .
Roberts also knows that it is only a matter of time before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for debate .
In January 2019 , Justices Alito , Thomas , Kavanaugh and Gorsuch wrote a concurring opinion that explicitly called for Smith to be revisited .
Gorsuch has hinted that he is not a fan of Smith , writing in another concurring opinion that Smith “ remains controversial.
” If the Supreme Court does turn back the clock on Smith , it will be a revolution for religious liberty .
In the face of Title VII and similar statutes , Christian schools , businesses , and other groups could largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Free Exercise Clause .
It seems likely that there may be an understanding among the justices : Roberts and Gorsuch voted for Title VII protections for gay employees and , when the time comes , Kagan will join them to vote against Smith .
This would fit well with Roberts ’ desire for consensus-building and with the Court ’ s concern for Free Exercise rights .
The Left Would Love to Turn Republicans Against the Supreme Court There is another reason not to panic : some on the left would like to play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Court and throw the election to Biden .
The progressive website Slate has boasted that after Bostock “ conservative evangelical voters may conclude that … Trump can ’ t be trusted to drag the court rightward , making them less tolerant of his other profane grotesqueries.
” Sadly , this could work .
Many conservatives have little understanding of the Court and do not understand the important role it plays in protecting our rights .
Some could skip the November election simply because they do not realize how much worse things would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there may be an even more disturbing reason that some would like to alienate Republicans from the court .
Last year , a group of Democratic senators filed a document with the Court that is known among Court-watchers as “ The Enemy-of-the-Court Brief.
” The Senators — including Dick Durbin and Kristen Gillibrand — ominously threatened to “ restructure ” the Supreme Court if it did not begin limiting gun rights .
This was a thinly veiled threat to pack the Court — an idea that is quickly gaining popularity on the left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bostock is so dangerous and irresponsible .
If conservatives falsely believe that the Court is already a partisan left-wing institution , then they won ’ t understand what packing the Court would mean for the country .
Court-packing would be nothing less than a coup d ’ état against the Constitution , putting us on a guaranteed fast track to a totalitarian government .
For example , a packed Court would overturn the Court ’ s 5-4 Heller decision , which held that the Second Amendment applies to private citizens .
This would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — something it might be able to do in stages , boiling the proverbial frog in the frying pan .
The Supreme Court Must Be Protected from Intimidation As a student of history , John Roberts is aware of what could happen in the U.S. if the government is no longer checked by the rule of law .
Many of Roberts ’ actions are guided by a desire to preserve the Court as a respected , legitimate institution .
This brings me to the only caveat to my prediction .
If Democrats do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fear that the Court is under imminent threat of being “ restructured.
” If he does , he will likely cave in to the left ’ s demands , as the Court once did under similar threats by FDR .
The threats facing the Court make it all the more urgent that conservatives understand the way the Supreme Court works and correctly interpret its rulings .
The Court plays a critical role in protecting our religious freedom and other rights .
It will likely continue to do so — but only if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would destroy it .
Ian Huyett is a litigation attorney and an editor at Staseos .
He has published several academic articles on law and religion , including most recently How to Overturn Employment Division v. Smith : A Historical Approach with Regent University Law Review .

Earlier this month, Justice Neil Gorsuch’s opinion in Bostock v. Clayton County established that Title VII protects employees from being fired because they are gay or transgender. Since the decision, a number of people have grimly announced that Gorsuch has betrayed the Constitution and ushered in the end of religious liberty in America. You should not listen to them.
I have published academic work on law and religion and closely followed the Court’s hearings and decisions on religious liberty for years. The reality is that, in recent cases on the Free Exercise Clause, there has been a trajectory of success for Christians. We are also approaching much greater protection for religious freedom, unless — and possibly even if — President Trump is defeated in November.
I am not saying that Bostock poses zero challenges for the church: I expect that someone at the ACLU is already scheming to use Bostock as a bludgeon against Christians. My claim is that, when this scheme makes its way to the Supreme Court, the ACLU will lose — as they have lost similar cases over the last decade. The only scenario in which this might not happen is if Democrats reclaim the White House and Senate in November, escalate their recent threats against the Court, and bully the justices into bowing to their will.
This threat to the Court is very real. Worse, many on the right do not realize how much worse things could get if Democrats were able to compromise the Court. Claiming that the Court is already left-wing is dangerous and irresponsible, as it may cause conservatives to quit fighting.
The Panic About Title VII Is Based on a Misunderstanding of Basic Constitutional Law
The doom-and-gloom lamentations of some Christians about Bostock rest on serious mistakes about the way American law works. Most importantly, many Christians have failed to distinguish between two different sources of law: Title VII and the U.S. Constitution. Gorsuch’s opinion in Bostock only answered the question of what the words of Title VII mean. It did not say anything about whether Title VII might violate the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment in some cases.
The doom-and-gloom lamentations of some Christians about Bostock rest on serious mistakes about the way American law works.
This distinction — between interpreting a statute and whether it is constitutional — comes up all the time in U.S. law. For example, consider requirements that pastors, rabbis, and imams be male. Title VII prohibits all sex discrimination, period. It has no exception allowing religious groups to consider sex for religious reasons. This means that biblical Christian denominations, Orthodox Jewish groups, and Muslim organizations are technically violating Title VII by requiring that their congregations be led by men.
So why haven’t courts ordered churches to abandon biblical views about gender? The answer is not in how judges read Title VII, but in how they read the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. As the liberal Justice Stephen Breyer has said, it is “obvious” that the Constitution would not allow the government to force a church to hire a female pastor.
In Bostock, Gorsuch did not redefine the word “sex” beyond its biological meaning. He simply reasoned that, if you have fired an employee for being gay, then you must have considered whether the employee is male or female. Whether or not you agree with this reasoning, it does not make Neil Gorsuch some sort of wicked enemy of Christianity. In the same way, it does not make me a feminist when I state that Title VII prohibits all sex discrimination.
Real treachery on the Court would be a finding that Title VII can be used to force religious groups and businesses to violate traditional religious beliefs. There are very good reasons to expect that the Roberts Court will not do this. As Gorsuch pointed out, while future cases may involve “free exercise arguments that merit careful consideration,” none of the employers in Bostock relied upon “religious liberties in any way.”
Supreme Court Politics Can Be More Complicated Than Republicans vs. Democrats
It’s not hard to understand why conservatives are panicking about Gorsuch. There is a long history of Republican-appointed justices moving to the left after being placed on the Court, including Justices Warren, Blackmun, Stevens, Kennedy and Souter. This probably has less to do with Republicans being bamboozled and more to do with agreeable justices being influenced by the elite social circles of Washington, D.C.
But Free Exercise law is more than a simple left-versus-right issue. The late Justice Antonin Scalia was, somewhat by accident, the single greatest enemy of religious liberty in America in the last 100 years. With his 1990 opinion in Employment Division v. Smith, Scalia made it virtually impossible for anyone to bring forth a Free Exercise claim. His decision directly caused every defeat for Christians in religious liberty cases since it was issued, including the loss by Elaine Huguenin — a Christian wedding photographer who was ordered to participate in a same-sex wedding — in New Mexico state court.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
On the other hand, some liberal justices can be sympathetic to Christians who bring Free Exercise cases. This is most true of Obama-appointee Justice Elena Kagan, a practicing Conservative Jew, who has repeatedly sided with evangelical Christians. In one case where the Obama DOJ attempted to exert control over churches, Kagan said she found the DOJ’s dismissal of religious liberty “amazing” — something she did not mean as a compliment. Kagan also joined the majority opinion in Masterpiece Cakeshop, which held that Colorado officials could not use their hostility to Christianity in making a government decision.
Chief Justice Roberts Has a Track Record of Playing 4D Chess
Under John Roberts, the Court has taken steps to limit the damage done by Employment Division v. Smith. In 2012, Roberts wrote a unanimous opinion allowing a church to fire a teacher for violating 1 Corinthians 6 — the biggest victory for the Free Exercise Clause since 1943. We currently have the most pro-religious liberty Supreme Court since a Calvin Coolidge appointee was chief justice.
Roberts is not the liberal sellout that he is sometimes made out to be. While Roberts sometimes votes with the left, he usually does so with a larger political end in view. Although Roberts angered conservatives by upholding Obamacare, his opinion in that case helped to limit the government’s power under the Commerce Clause — something that very few other cases have done.
Roberts also knows that it is only a matter of time before Employment Division v. Smith is finally put up for debate. In January 2019, Justices Alito, Thomas, Kavanaugh and Gorsuch wrote a concurring opinion that explicitly called for Smith to be revisited. Gorsuch has hinted that he is not a fan of Smith, writing in another concurring opinion that Smith “remains controversial.”
If the Supreme Court does turn back the clock on Smith, it will be a revolution for religious liberty. In the face of Title VII and similar statutes, Christian schools, businesses, and other groups could largely rest easily beneath the protection of the Free Exercise Clause. It seems likely that there may be an understanding among the justices: Roberts and Gorsuch voted for Title VII protections for gay employees and, when the time comes, Kagan will join them to vote against Smith. This would fit well with Roberts’ desire for consensus-building and with the Court’s concern for Free Exercise rights.
The Left Would Love to Turn Republicans Against the Supreme Court
There is another reason not to panic: some on the left would like to play up Bostock to turn Trump voters against the Court and throw the election to Biden. The progressive website Slate has boasted that after Bostock “conservative evangelical voters may conclude that … Trump can’t be trusted to drag the court rightward, making them less tolerant of his other profane grotesqueries.” Sadly, this could work. Many conservatives have little understanding of the Court and do not understand the important role it plays in protecting our rights. Some could skip the November election simply because they do not realize how much worse things would be under a left-majority Court.
Court-packing would be nothing less than a coup d’état against the Constitution, putting us on a guaranteed fast track to a totalitarian government.
And there may be an even more disturbing reason that some would like to alienate Republicans from the court. Last year, a group of Democratic senators filed a document with the Court that is known among Court-watchers as “The Enemy-of-the-Court Brief.” The Senators — including Dick Durbin and Kristen Gillibrand — ominously threatened to “restructure” the Supreme Court if it did not begin limiting gun rights. This was a thinly veiled threat to pack the Court — an idea that is quickly gaining popularity on the left.
This is why the hysteria over Bostock is so dangerous and irresponsible. If conservatives falsely believe that the Court is already a partisan left-wing institution, then they won’t understand what packing the Court would mean for the country.
Court-packing would be nothing less than a coup d’état against the Constitution, putting us on a guaranteed fast track to a totalitarian government. For example, a packed Court would overturn the Court’s 5-4 Heller decision, which held that the Second Amendment applies to private citizens. This would allow Congress to enact total gun confiscation — something it might be able to do in stages, boiling the proverbial frog in the frying pan.
The Supreme Court Must Be Protected from Intimidation
As a student of history, John Roberts is aware of what could happen in the U.S. if the government is no longer checked by the rule of law. Many of Roberts’ actions are guided by a desire to preserve the Court as a respected, legitimate institution.
This brings me to the only caveat to my prediction. If Democrats do win in November, Roberts might come to fear that the Court is under imminent threat of being “restructured.” If he does, he will likely cave in to the left’s demands, as the Court once did under similar threats by FDR.
The threats facing the Court make it all the more urgent that conservatives understand the way the Supreme Court works and correctly interpret its rulings. The Court plays a critical role in protecting our religious freedom and other rights. It will likely continue to do so — but only if we zealously defend it from those who would destroy it.
Ian Huyett is a litigation attorney and an editor at Staseos. He has published several academic articles on law and religion, including most recently How to Overturn Employment Division v. Smith: A Historical Approach with Regent University Law Review.


thestream--2020-06-26--Instagram Brands Christian Worship ‘Harmful’

The headline to this article is not sensationalistic .
It is not click bait .
It is truth .
Shocking truth .
Yes , Instagram has designated videos of live worship on the streets to be in violation of community guidelines , calling the content “ harmful.
” Let the outrage be felt and heard .
Sean Feucht is a worship leader and songwriter who recently ran for political office in California .
He is also a conservative Christian .
On June 23 he tweeted , “ This is what we ’ ve come to in America !
Instagram is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harmful or false information.
’ Religious Liberty ?
Freedom of Speech ?
Big Tech censorship ?
” Included in the tweet was a screenshot from Instagram , explaining that the company had removed his video post because it was violation of Community Standards .
( Oh , those dread community standards again ! )
What on earth does this mean ?
What can it possibly mean ?
Feucht ’ s tweet got the attention of Missouri ’ s Senator Josh Hawley who tweeted , “ Cancel culture meets # BigTech .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who wants to post videos of praise and worship from places where there has recently been unrest .
And that doesn ’ t meet ‘ community standards ’ ?
Can ’ t wait to hear the explanation for this.
” As of this writing ( late Thursday night , Eastern Time , June 25 ) , we are still awaiting explanation .
I Know What It ’ s Like A few years ago , I repeatedly challenged Facebook for censoring some of my posts for alleged violation of community standards , exposing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , my factual , fairly-worded post dealing with LGBT issues would be deemed hateful , while the most blasphemous , unimaginably profane , anti-Christian Facebook pages were allowed to operate without restriction .
Seriously ?
Thankfully , in most cases , with the help of an internal contact , Facebook reinstated my posts ( or , restored my status ) .
But other colleagues of mine did not fare so well , having their pages permanently shut down for alleged violation of the dreaded ( and oh so ambiguous ) community standards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant one thing for one group and something entirely different for the other .
( For a recent , video exposé , see here . )
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
When it comes to YouTube and Google , the battle continues , with large channels like Prager U still experiencing discrimination and unequal treatment .
( Where are all the social justice warriors calling for equality ?
Somehow , they don ’ t seem to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
In my own experience , after having over 1,000 of my channel ’ s videos branded unsuitable for advertising in a single stroke ( ! )
, YouTube has actually been fair with me , even surprising me at times by what it approves for monetization .
At the same time , we know that the other shoe could drop at any moment and suddenly , we could be banned .
It is a big mistake to put our trust in Big Tech .
What Were the Censors Thinking ?
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even more bizarre and extreme .
What on earth were the all-powerful censors thinking ?
There are endless videos on Instagram showing disturbing clips from the recent protests and riots , all of them somehow in conformity with community standards .
( Right now , over on Twitter , I ’ m watching a video of the “ CHOP ” call from Seattle , with specific reference to guillotines .
I imagine similar videos can be found on Instagram . )
But when a video is posted showing Christian worship in the midst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for alleged “ harmful or false information.
” Since there is nothing “ false ” about the video , then it must be considered “ harmful ” — hence the headline to this article .
Is this actually what Instagram meant ?
Could they possibly be claiming that worshiping the Lord on the streets of our divided cities is harmful ?
If so , I would encourage every worship leader and every worship team to hit the streets of their own communities , posting similar videos and sharing them as widely as possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s a great thing to do anyway and just what America needs . )
If Instagram has made a mistake , I hope they own up to it and say , “ We totally blew it !
There is no excuse.
” Otherwise , this means war — as in spiritual war .
So , no hatred .
No carnal aggression .
No fleshly anger .
And , of course , of course , of course , no violence .
But lots of prayer .
Lots of worship .
Lots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and being heard .
If not now , then when ?
Time to Flood Big Tech With Worship and the Word Ironically , as if to drill the point home , as I was writing this article , I spotted another tweet from Sen. Hawley from a few hours ago .
He wrote , “ Now @ Twitter is actively censoring Bible verses ?
Seriously ?
Why ?
” Hawley retweeted another tweet from Sean Feucht , stating , “ Not only is big tech blocking worship videos , now they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RT if you believe social media needs more peace , more worship , and less censorship of Jesus followers.
” Feucht included a screenshot of tweets from Beni Johnson , then using the handle @ prayfor5 , which at present is not appearing on Twitter .
Her tweets , posting Bible verses , were blocked , with the note , “ This Tweet may include sensitive content.
” So , worship is deemed “ harmful ” and Scripture verses about peace are deemed “ sensitive content.
” Really ?
Let us , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and worship .
And let us report and challenge every unjust infraction about the practicing of our faith .
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 .

The headline to this article is not sensationalistic. It is not click bait. It is truth. Shocking truth. Yes, Instagram has designated videos of live worship on the streets to be in violation of community guidelines, calling the content “harmful.” Let the outrage be felt and heard.
Sean Feucht is a worship leader and songwriter who recently ran for political office in California. He is also a conservative Christian.
On June 23 he tweeted, “This is what we’ve come to in America! Instagram is now classifying my WORSHIP videos as ‘harmful or false information.’ Religious Liberty? Freedom of Speech? Big Tech censorship?”
This is what we’ve come to in America! Instagram is now classifying my WORSHIP videos as “harmful or false information” 🤦🏼♂ Religious Liberty? Freedom of Speech? Big Tech censorship? pic.twitter.com/I7s6HUfKH4 — Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) June 23, 2020
Included in the tweet was a screenshot from Instagram, explaining that the company had removed his video post because it was violation of Community Standards. (Oh, those dread community standards again!)
Specifically, Instagram stated, “Story removed for harmful or false information.”
What on earth does this mean? What can it possibly mean?
Feucht’s tweet got the attention of Missouri’s Senator Josh Hawley who tweeted, “Cancel culture meets #BigTech. Now @instagram is censoring a Christian worship leader who wants to post videos of praise and worship from places where there has recently been unrest. And that doesn’t meet ‘community standards’? Can’t wait to hear the explanation for this.”
Cancel culture meets #BigTech. Now @instagram is censoring a Christian worship leader who wants to post videos of praise and worship from places where there has recently been unrest. And that doesn’t meet “community standards”? Can’t wait to hear the explanation for this https://t.co/QoQcpEo2q8 — Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) June 23, 2020
As of this writing (late Thursday night, Eastern Time, June 25), we are still awaiting explanation.
I Know What It’s Like
A few years ago, I repeatedly challenged Facebook for censoring some of my posts for alleged violation of community standards, exposing the rank hypocrisy of their decisions.
For example, my factual, fairly-worded post dealing with LGBT issues would be deemed hateful, while the most blasphemous, unimaginably profane, anti-Christian Facebook pages were allowed to operate without restriction. Seriously?
Thankfully, in most cases, with the help of an internal contact, Facebook reinstated my posts (or, restored my status). But other colleagues of mine did not fare so well, having their pages permanently shut down for alleged violation of the dreaded (and oh so ambiguous) community standards.
It seems that “hate” meant one thing for one group and something entirely different for the other. (For a recent, video exposé, see here.)
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
When it comes to YouTube and Google, the battle continues, with large channels like Prager U still experiencing discrimination and unequal treatment. (Where are all the social justice warriors calling for equality? Somehow, they don’t seem to be raising their voices for Prager U.)
In my own experience, after having over 1,000 of my channel’s videos branded unsuitable for advertising in a single stroke (!), YouTube has actually been fair with me, even surprising me at times by what it approves for monetization. At the same time, we know that the other shoe could drop at any moment and suddenly, we could be banned.
It is a big mistake to put our trust in Big Tech.
What Were the Censors Thinking?
What happened with Instagram, though, seems even more bizarre and extreme. What on earth were the all-powerful censors thinking?
There are endless videos on Instagram showing disturbing clips from the recent protests and riots, all of them somehow in conformity with community standards. (Right now, over on Twitter, I’m watching a video of the “CHOP” call from Seattle, with specific reference to guillotines. I imagine similar videos can be found on Instagram.)
But when a video is posted showing Christian worship in the midst of these protests, it is removed for alleged “harmful or false information.”
Since there is nothing “false” about the video, then it must be considered “harmful” — hence the headline to this article.
Is this actually what Instagram meant? Could they possibly be claiming that worshiping the Lord on the streets of our divided cities is harmful?
If so, I would encourage every worship leader and every worship team to hit the streets of their own communities, posting similar videos and sharing them as widely as possible, starting on Instagram. (Hey, it’s a great thing to do anyway and just what America needs.)
If Instagram has made a mistake, I hope they own up to it and say, “We totally blew it! There is no excuse.” Otherwise, this means war — as in spiritual war.
So, no hatred. No carnal aggression. No fleshly anger. And, of course, of course, of course, no violence.
But lots of prayer. Lots of worship. Lots of preaching. And lots of standing up and being heard. If not now, then when?
Time to Flood Big Tech With Worship and the Word
Ironically, as if to drill the point home, as I was writing this article, I spotted another tweet from Sen. Hawley from a few hours ago. He wrote, “Now @Twitter is actively censoring Bible verses? Seriously? Why?”
Hawley retweeted another tweet from Sean Feucht, stating, “Not only is big tech blocking worship videos, now they’re blocking Bible verses about PEACE! RT if you believe social media needs more peace, more worship, and less censorship of Jesus followers.”
Not only is big tech blocking worship videos, now they’re blocking Bible verses about PEACE! RT if you believe social media needs more peace, more worship, and less censorship of Jesus followers. @prayfor5 pic.twitter.com/lIBMnZiz2T — Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) June 25, 2020
Feucht included a screenshot of tweets from Beni Johnson, then using the handle @prayfor5, which at present is not appearing on Twitter. Her tweets, posting Bible verses, were blocked, with the note, “This Tweet may include sensitive content.”
So, worship is deemed “harmful” and Scripture verses about peace are deemed “sensitive content.” Really?
Let us, then, flood Big Tech with the Word and worship. And let us report and challenge every unjust infraction about the practicing of our faith.
It’s beyond time.
(For my 10-point, winning strategy for believers leading into this volatile election, see my new book Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test?)
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--2020-06-26--Has ‘THE MOMENT’ Been Squandered? I Hope Not!

The entire nation was on the same page when they saw George Floyd murdered .
Everyone knew it was evil .
That moment was the time for mature discussions on race to occur .
But if we are not careful , that moment could be squandered by what has happened since .
Can we regain the “ oneness ” of that moment — and discuss matters in a way that produces racial healing and addresses key issues ?
Below I list 20 things that could help us in conversations that would move us toward racial healing .
1 .
LISTEN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ privately with blacks and stated , “ Teach me .
Tell me about your experiences .
Help me to understand.
” I urge you to do the same .
Then listen .
We , as whites , can learn some things .
In those conversations , whites , be quiet .
You can ask questions , but don ’ t interrupt .
Don ’ t say “ Yes , but.
” Listen and ponder .
2 .
KNOWING WHAT NOT TO SAY AS A WHITE # 1 : Do not say , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” It is best not to say this .
( Personal note : I have three sisters-in-law and one nephew that are black .
I will only share that if I feel it truly enhances the conversation with the black person .
Otherwise , it does not need to be said . )
3 .
KNOWING WHAT NOT TO SAY AS A WHITE # 2 : Do not say , “ I am not a racist.
” You might not be , but it is better to listen and learn for now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ AS A WHITE # 3 : Do not say , “ Well , I never owned slaves , and you never were one.
” While that is true , some things are better left unsaid .
5 .
WHITE VIRTUE-SIGNALING : Stop it .
It does nothing truly substantive .
Whites , you have no idea how pompous it looks .
Stop it .
I have heard blacks speak of how offensive this is .
It is pandering , and everyone knows it .
6 .
WHAT NOT TO SAY AS A WHITE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Well , my ancestors fought for the North.
” While it might be true , please don ’ t share that unless it genuinely brings redemptive tones to the conversation .
( Personal note : My great grandfather fought for the North , for real , and we still have his musket , but it does not have to be stated in most conversations .
It isn ’ t relevant .
This is not about your ancestors .
This is about their present-day black experience . )
7 .
WORDS THAT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decent conversation without using the terms “ racism , ” “ privilege ” and “ reparations , ” and instead , tell our stories ?
( Personal note : From 2015 to the present , I have been in numerous productive conversations with blacks — asking them their experiences .
One conversation was not .
That particular person just wanted to condemn everyone as a “ racist.
” Avoid trying to talk to anyone who has the proverbial “ chip on their shoulder.
” Avoid them .
There are many other persons with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversations . )
8 .
IDENTIFICATIONAL REPENTANCE : I believe in “ identificational repentance , ” that is , repenting for things you did not even do or even know about .
This careful and tender sharing of thoughtful words can produce healing in a person who has been wronged .
For example , my wife has asked Jewish Holocaust survivors for forgiveness , although she was never a Nazi .
Elderly Jews have wept openly upon hearing the words , “ I am sorry , so very sorry.
” In pastoral conversations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for what men ( whom I never knew ) have done to them .
They wept as healing came .
It is appropriate — in my opinion — to ask blacks , who have experienced the pain of hatred and discrimination , for forgiveness even though you or I were not the whites who did that to them .
There is biblical precedent .
Moses repented on behalf of the people .
Daniel did the same , as did Ezra .
The Holy Spirit can use this to bring healing to wounded black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 1 ) acknowledgment of the offense , ( 2 ) repent before the Lord , ( 3 ) ask for forgiveness and ( 4 ) work towards restitution .
Note : This is not the same as “ white guilt ” where people wrongly say , “ We did it .
We killed George Floyd.
” No , we did not .
Derek Chauvin did it .
Identificational repentance is when you ask for forgiveness on behalf of another , the one who did the wrong .
You are not assuming the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” is shame-based , a tool of the Evil One .
He assigns false guilt .
“ White guilt ” oppresses .
Identificational repentance releases .
It is designed to bring redemptive healing to the suffering one , not blame to persons who never committed the act .
9 .
ONE RACE : Dr. Alveda King , the niece of the late Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr. , constantly reminds us that we are one race .
Different ethnicities admittedly , but one race .
10 .
FOCUS : Knowing that substance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on those things that can truly address the lives of blacks .
The outstanding blacks who hosted “ The Reconciled Church ” event a few years ago taught us , as whites , that there were four key areas that needed our joint attention : ( 1 ) education , ( 2 ) economic realities , ( 3 ) judicial reform and ( 4 ) prison reform .
I would add a fifth — the most important — helping reestablish the black nuclear family .
11 .
EDUCATION : If blacks could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use vouchers , there could be an enormous difference in black academic achievement .
Tragically , this is blocked by teachers ’ unions and many Democrats .
Interestingly , they cry “ choice ” except where it could help black school-age children .
In the meantime , what if white retired seniors were connected — in large scale — to help tutor black children in after-school programs .
It would help students , bless seniors and fostering tender , caring , new relationships that could have long-term implications .
Please Support The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
12 .
ECONOMIC : The Democrats do a superb job of “ talking ” about the poor , but have policies that produce a permanent underclass .
The Republicans are not adequately empathetically articulate regarding the poor , yet they have policies that successfully lift them socioeconomically .
Consider the fact that pre-COVID-19 , the Trump economy had the lowest unemployment for minorities ever !
Ever !
And look at the “ opportunity zones ” that are being developed in thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sources do not share .
Read and study widely on this and see where you can help make a difference .
Know the five biblical economic principles that must be present for a community or a nation to prosper .
13 .
JUDICIAL : My eyes were opened on this only in recent years .
The good news is that both Dems and GOP have desired to see progress .
Included in this would be the area of policing guidelines .
Examine carefully the Executive Order signed on this .
The heart of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( most ? )
whites can afford an attorney when they get into the legal system .
Many ( most ? )
blacks can not afford one and thus have a public defender .
At that point , one is lost in the system .
At that point , the “ judicial system ” is neither “ judicious ” nor “ systemic.
” Most whites do not understand this .
Most blacks do .
We , as whites , need to listen and learn from blacks on this issue .
This is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last two years .
We can continue to work together on this .
14 .
PRISON : My eyes were opened on this one as well — only in recent years .
The good news is the Trump Administration has made enormous positive steps .
The tragedy is that most people do not know this and have never read about what has happened in this area because the news sources — who get higher ratings from bad news — do not report it .
Become informed .
This is solvable .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 .
FAMILIES : The greatest single predictor of a child ’ s future life is if his/her parents ( 1 ) get a high school degree , ( 2 ) get married , ( 3 ) then have children — IN THAT ORDER .
Notice that a college degree is not listed .
Even a high school diploma makes a difference .
Under President Lyndon Johnson , the “ Great Society ” legislation devastated the nuclear black family .
The family unit had managed to withstand the horrors of slavery and Jim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s policies .
Little boys who have no daddies are at an enormous disadvantage .
Little girls who have no daddies are equally disadvantaged .
Fatherless children are many times more likely to be involved in criminal activity and end up in prison .
THE MOST CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL THOUGHTS MUST BE EXPENDED FINDING WAYS TO HELP REESTABLISH THE BLACK NUCLEAR FAMILY .
It baffles my mind that one of the 13 guiding principles of “ Black Lives Matter ” states , “ We are committed to disrupting the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ‘ villages ’ that collectively care for one another , and especially ‘ our ’ children … ” END OF QUOTE .
The best way to bless black children ( and all children ) with a bright future is to be raised in homes with a daddy and mommy who love each other and stay together .
Three out of four black children do not have that .
Find every way to help black families be formed and stay together .
16 .
KILLING : Help all whites and blacks understand that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , founded by Margaret Sanger for eugenics , that is , for the purpose of killing blacks .
Planned Parenthood alone kills 247 black babies per day .
The total number from all abortuary killing centers is considerably higher .
Work to expose this evil organization and its distinctively racist past and present .
17 .
PANDERING : Whites must stop saying dumb things and doing pandering actions .
( It seems as if the “ Spirit of Stupid ” has fallen on many whites . )
Sometimes it is best to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : If whites are not prepared to listen and learn , any conversation is in vain .
Ask questions .
Listen .
Learn .
Grow .
19 .
SOLUTION SUNDAY : Senator Tim Scott ( black ) and Senator James Lankford ( white ) have suggested that every person select a Sunday in which they go out to eat with someone of a different ethnic background — black , white , Hispanic , Asian .
What would happen if 330 million Americans did that ?
They won ’ t , you say ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
PRAY AND FAST : This issue is so entrenched , “ some things come only by prayer and fasting.
” Dr. Jim Garlow is CEO & Founder of Well Versed .

The entire nation was on the same page when they saw George Floyd murdered. Everyone knew it was evil. That moment was the time for mature discussions on race to occur. But if we are not careful, that moment could be squandered by what has happened since. Can we regain the “oneness” of that moment — and discuss matters in a way that produces racial healing and addresses key issues?
Below I list 20 things that could help us in conversations that would move us toward racial healing.
Productive, Healing Conversations
1. LISTEN: Since 2015, I have met privately with blacks and stated, “Teach me. Tell me about your experiences. Help me to understand.” I urge you to do the same. Then listen. We, as whites, can learn some things. In those conversations, whites, be quiet. You can ask questions, but don’t interrupt. Don’t say “Yes, but.” Listen and ponder.
2. KNOWING WHAT NOT TO SAY AS A WHITE #1: Do not say, “Some of my best friends are black.” It is best not to say this. (Personal note: I have three sisters-in-law and one nephew that are black. I will only share that if I feel it truly enhances the conversation with the black person. Otherwise, it does not need to be said.)
3. KNOWING WHAT NOT TO SAY AS A WHITE #2: Do not say, “I am not a racist.” You might not be, but it is better to listen and learn for now.
4. KNOWING WHAT NOT TO SAY AS A WHITE #3: Do not say, “Well, I never owned slaves, and you never were one.” While that is true, some things are better left unsaid.
5. WHITE VIRTUE-SIGNALING: Stop it. It does nothing truly substantive. Whites, you have no idea how pompous it looks. Stop it. I have heard blacks speak of how offensive this is. It is pandering, and everyone knows it.
6. WHAT NOT TO SAY AS A WHITE UNLESS IT IS REDEMPTIVE TO THE CONVERSATION: “Well, my ancestors fought for the North.” While it might be true, please don’t share that unless it genuinely brings redemptive tones to the conversation. (Personal note: My great grandfather fought for the North, for real, and we still have his musket, but it does not have to be stated in most conversations. It isn’t relevant. This is not about your ancestors. This is about their present-day black experience.)
7. WORDS THAT CONTRIBUTE LITTLE: Can we have a decent conversation without using the terms “racism,” “privilege” and “reparations,” and instead, tell our stories? (Personal note: From 2015 to the present, I have been in numerous productive conversations with blacks — asking them their experiences. One conversation was not. That particular person just wanted to condemn everyone as a “racist.” Avoid trying to talk to anyone who has the proverbial “chip on their shoulder.” Avoid them. There are many other persons with whom you can have productive, healing conversations.)
8. IDENTIFICATIONAL REPENTANCE: I believe in “identificational repentance,” that is, repenting for things you did not even do or even know about. This careful and tender sharing of thoughtful words can produce healing in a person who has been wronged. For example, my wife has asked Jewish Holocaust survivors for forgiveness, although she was never a Nazi. Elderly Jews have wept openly upon hearing the words, “I am sorry, so very sorry.” In pastoral conversations, I have asked women for forgiveness for what men (whom I never knew) have done to them. They wept as healing came.
It is appropriate — in my opinion — to ask blacks, who have experienced the pain of hatred and discrimination, for forgiveness even though you or I were not the whites who did that to them. There is biblical precedent. Moses repented on behalf of the people. Daniel did the same, as did Ezra. The Holy Spirit can use this to bring healing to wounded black brothers and sisters. The steps are (1) acknowledgment of the offense, (2) repent before the Lord, (3) ask for forgiveness and (4) work towards restitution.
Note: This is not the same as “white guilt” where people wrongly say, “We did it. We killed George Floyd.” No, we did not. Derek Chauvin did it. Identificational repentance is when you ask for forgiveness on behalf of another, the one who did the wrong. You are not assuming the sin upon yourself. “White guilt” is shame-based, a tool of the Evil One. He assigns false guilt. “White guilt” oppresses. Identificational repentance releases. It is designed to bring redemptive healing to the suffering one, not blame to persons who never committed the act.
Working Together — Toward Progress
9. ONE RACE: Dr. Alveda King, the niece of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., constantly reminds us that we are one race. Different ethnicities admittedly, but one race.
10. FOCUS: Knowing that substance is more important than images, focus on those things that can truly address the lives of blacks. The outstanding blacks who hosted “The Reconciled Church” event a few years ago taught us, as whites, that there were four key areas that needed our joint attention: (1) education, (2) economic realities, (3) judicial reform and (4) prison reform. I would add a fifth — the most important — helping reestablish the black nuclear family.
11. EDUCATION: If blacks could be released from horrifically-failing urban schools and allowed to use vouchers, there could be an enormous difference in black academic achievement. Tragically, this is blocked by teachers’ unions and many Democrats. Interestingly, they cry “choice” except where it could help black school-age children. In the meantime, what if white retired seniors were connected — in large scale — to help tutor black children in after-school programs. It would help students, bless seniors and fostering tender, caring, new relationships that could have long-term implications.
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12. ECONOMIC: The Democrats do a superb job of “talking” about the poor, but have policies that produce a permanent underclass. The Republicans are not adequately empathetically articulate regarding the poor, yet they have policies that successfully lift them socioeconomically. Consider the fact that pre-COVID-19, the Trump economy had the lowest unemployment for minorities ever! Ever! And look at the “opportunity zones” that are being developed in thousands of inner-city neighborhoods — that the news sources do not share. Read and study widely on this and see where you can help make a difference. Know the five biblical economic principles that must be present for a community or a nation to prosper.
13. JUDICIAL: My eyes were opened on this only in recent years. The good news is that both Dems and GOP have desired to see progress. Included in this would be the area of policing guidelines. Examine carefully the Executive Order signed on this. The heart of the judicial matter is this: Many (most?) whites can afford an attorney when they get into the legal system. Many (most?) blacks cannot afford one and thus have a public defender. At that point, one is lost in the system. At that point, the “judicial system” is neither “judicious” nor “systemic.” Most whites do not understand this. Most blacks do. We, as whites, need to listen and learn from blacks on this issue. This is one where real progress has been made in the last two years. We can continue to work together on this.
14. PRISON: My eyes were opened on this one as well — only in recent years. The good news is the Trump Administration has made enormous positive steps. The tragedy is that most people do not know this and have never read about what has happened in this area because the news sources — who get higher ratings from bad news — do not report it. Become informed. This is solvable. We can all work together on this.
Focus on Families
15. FAMILIES: The greatest single predictor of a child’s future life is if his/her parents (1) get a high school degree, (2) get married, (3) then have children — IN THAT ORDER. Notice that a college degree is not listed. Even a high school diploma makes a difference. Under President Lyndon Johnson, the “Great Society” legislation devastated the nuclear black family. The family unit had managed to withstand the horrors of slavery and Jim Crow but was crushed by Johnson’s policies. Little boys who have no daddies are at an enormous disadvantage. Little girls who have no daddies are equally disadvantaged. Fatherless children are many times more likely to be involved in criminal activity and end up in prison.
THE MOST CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL THOUGHTS MUST BE EXPENDED FINDING WAYS TO HELP REESTABLISH THE BLACK NUCLEAR FAMILY. It baffles my mind that one of the 13 guiding principles of “Black Lives Matter” states, “We are committed to disrupting the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another, and especially ‘our’ children … ” END OF QUOTE. The best way to bless black children (and all children) with a bright future is to be raised in homes with a daddy and mommy who love each other and stay together. Three out of four black children do not have that. Find every way to help black families be formed and stay together.
16. KILLING: Help all whites and blacks understand that the most racist organization is Planned Parenthood, founded by Margaret Sanger for eugenics, that is, for the purpose of killing blacks. Planned Parenthood alone kills 247 black babies per day. The total number from all abortuary killing centers is considerably higher. Work to expose this evil organization and its distinctively racist past and present.
Listen. Learn. Grow — and Pray.
17. PANDERING: Whites must stop saying dumb things and doing pandering actions. (It seems as if the “Spirit of Stupid” has fallen on many whites.) Sometimes it is best to be silent.
18. KNOW IT ALL: If whites are not prepared to listen and learn, any conversation is in vain. Ask questions. Listen. Learn. Grow.
19. SOLUTION SUNDAY: Senator Tim Scott (black) and Senator James Lankford (white) have suggested that every person select a Sunday in which they go out to eat with someone of a different ethnic background — black, white, Hispanic, Asian. What would happen if 330 million Americans did that? They won’t, you say? Well, how about you?
20. PRAY AND FAST: This issue is so entrenched, “some things come only by prayer and fasting.”
Dr. Jim Garlow is CEO & Founder of Well Versed.
Originally published at wellversedworld.org. Reprinted with permission.


thestream--2020-06-26--Texas to Pause Further Reopening Amid Spike in Coronavirus Cases

Texas Republican governor Greg Abbott announced a temporary pause on the state ’ s economic reopening Thursday amid a surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations .
“ As we experience an increase in both positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations , we are focused on strategies that slow the spread of this virus while also allowing Texans to continue earning a paycheck to support their families , ” Abbott said in a statement .
“ The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses.
” Texas entered phase three of its reopening plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state to operate at 50 % of their normal capacity .
The following week , Abbott announced that restaurants could operate at 75 % capacity .
Texas has seen a 70 % increase in coronavirus cases in the past week , according to Axios , and data shows that younger people becoming sick are driving the surge .
Cases are up 30 % nationwide since the beginning of June .
Abbott did not specify in his statement Thursday when he will resume reopening the state .
He said all Texans has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can reopen for business as soon as possible .
“ I ask all Texans to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a mask , washing their hands regularly , and socially distancing from others , ” he said .
“ The more that we all follow these guidelines , the safer our state will be and the more we can open up Texas for business.
” Abbott ’ s announcement comes after the largest medical center in Houston warned Wednesday that the city ’ s hospital capacity could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becoming hospitalized from coronavirus .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
“ While everyone is susceptible to contracting COVID-19 , we are seeing significantly larger number of younger patients being admitted to our hospitals , ” the Texas Medical Center said .
“ Young people tend to be more active in communal gathering , which can further contribute to the spread of the virus , ” TMC added .
“ To that end , we implore young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commit to physically distance as much as possible and to wear masks when socializing with one another.
” ICU bed capacity at TMC stood at 97 % of normal levels as of Wednesday afternoon , compared to its normal base occupancy of around 70 to 80 % .
While the system has the ability to increase its capacity for about 1,000 additional beds for public health emergencies , that emergency capacity could be exhausted within the next two weeks , KHOU-11 reported .
Abbott has sounded the alarm over the increasing spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a Monday press conference that the virus is “ spreading at an unacceptable rate.
” The governor said Wednesday that greater economic restrictions could be imposed in the state if necessary to corral the spread of the virus .
“ We are looking at greater restrictions and some could be localized , ” Abbott said .
“ There are some regions in the state of Texas that are running tight on hospital capacity that may necessitate a localized strategy to make sure that hospital beds will be available.
” Content created by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Texas Republican governor Greg Abbott announced a temporary pause on the state’s economic reopening Thursday amid a surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.
“As we experience an increase in both positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, we are focused on strategies that slow the spread of this virus while also allowing Texans to continue earning a paycheck to support their families,” Abbott said in a statement. “The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses.”
Texas entered phase three of its reopening plan June 3, which allowed businesses across the state to operate at 50% of their normal capacity. The following week, Abbott announced that restaurants could operate at 75% capacity.
Texas has seen a 70% increase in coronavirus cases in the past week, according to Axios, and data shows that younger people becoming sick are driving the surge. Cases are up 30% nationwide since the beginning of June.
Abbott did not specify in his statement Thursday when he will resume reopening the state. He said all Texans has a part to play in ensuring the state can reopen for business as soon as possible.
“I ask all Texans to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a mask, washing their hands regularly, and socially distancing from others,” he said. “The more that we all follow these guidelines, the safer our state will be and the more we can open up Texas for business.”
Abbott’s announcement comes after the largest medical center in Houston warned Wednesday that the city’s hospital capacity could soon become overrun due to young people becoming hospitalized from coronavirus.
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“While everyone is susceptible to contracting COVID-19, we are seeing significantly larger number of younger patients being admitted to our hospitals,” the Texas Medical Center said.
“Young people tend to be more active in communal gathering, which can further contribute to the spread of the virus,” TMC added. “To that end, we implore young citizens to take it upon themselves to commit to physically distance as much as possible and to wear masks when socializing with one another.”
This is not good. ICU capacity at Houston’s Texas Medical Center, one of the largest medical centers in the world, is at 97% https://t.co/sJrWB2LB6h pic.twitter.com/3lJ9fbwbai — Dr. Lucky Tran 😷 (@luckytran) June 24, 2020
ICU bed capacity at TMC stood at 97% of normal levels as of Wednesday afternoon, compared to its normal base occupancy of around 70 to 80%. While the system has the ability to increase its capacity for about 1,000 additional beds for public health emergencies, that emergency capacity could be exhausted within the next two weeks, KHOU-11 reported.
Abbott has sounded the alarm over the increasing spread of coronavirus in Texas this week, saying during a Monday press conference that the virus is “spreading at an unacceptable rate.”
The governor said Wednesday that greater economic restrictions could be imposed in the state if necessary to corral the spread of the virus.
“We are looking at greater restrictions and some could be localized,” Abbott said. “There are some regions in the state of Texas that are running tight on hospital capacity that may necessitate a localized strategy to make sure that hospital beds will be available.”
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--2020-06-26--US Adds 4 Chinese Media Outlets to List of Beijing-Controlled ‘Propaganda’

The Trump State Department on Monday added four Chinese media outlets to a list of organizations considered to be the equivalent of foreign embassies because of their close ties to the Chinese Communist government .
The move to flag the outlets as “ foreign missions ” is part of the U.S. government ’ s effort to identify Beijing-controlled propaganda organs , which have ramped up their misinformation efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The four designated outlets are CCTV , the China News Service , People ’ s Daily , and Global Times .
“ The Communist Party does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entities , but it has full editorial control over their content , ” David Stilwell , assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs , told reporters in a conference call on Monday .
Stilwell called the designation “ an obvious step in increasing transparency ” of the Chinese government ’ s “ propaganda activities in the United States.
” The Trump administration slapped five other Chinese media outlets with foreign mission designations in February .
Those are Xinhua News Agency , China Global Television Network , China Radio International , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tian Development USA , Inc .
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The “ foreign mission ” for the outlets will require them to disclose information about their employees as well as their real estate holdings , as is required of foreign embassies and consulates .
The Justice Department has long required some of the outlets to disclose their media activities under the Foreign Agents Registration Act .
China Daily , one of the designated news outlets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspapers from late 2016 through early this year for advertising and printing services .
The propaganda mill paid more than $ 11 million of that to The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal to publish inserts designed to look like actual news articles .
The State Department under President Donald Trump ’ s control has steadily increased scrutiny of China ’ s media activities in the United States .
That focus has intensified as the novel coronavirus has continued to spread across the globe .
Chinese government officials have tried to divert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which originated from Wuhan late last year .
One Chinese official , Lijian Zhao , falsely accused the U.S. Army in March of introducing the coronavirus to China last year .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

The Trump State Department on Monday added four Chinese media outlets to a list of organizations considered to be the equivalent of foreign embassies because of their close ties to the Chinese Communist government.
The move to flag the outlets as “foreign missions” is part of the U.S. government’s effort to identify Beijing-controlled propaganda organs, which have ramped up their misinformation efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The four designated outlets are CCTV, the China News Service, People’s Daily, and Global Times.
“The Communist Party does not just exercise operational control over these propaganda entities, but it has full editorial control over their content,” David Stilwell, assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs, told reporters in a conference call on Monday.
Stilwell called the designation “an obvious step in increasing transparency” of the Chinese government’s “propaganda activities in the United States.”
The Trump administration slapped five other Chinese media outlets with foreign mission designations in February. Those are Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network, China Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corp., and Hai Tian Development USA, Inc.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
The “foreign mission” for the outlets will require them to disclose information about their employees as well as their real estate holdings, as is required of foreign embassies and consulates.
The Justice Department has long required some of the outlets to disclose their media activities under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
China Daily, one of the designated news outlets, paid $19 million to U.S. newspapers from late 2016 through early this year for advertising and printing services. The propaganda mill paid more than $11 million of that to The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal to publish inserts designed to look like actual news articles.
The State Department under President Donald Trump’s control has steadily increased scrutiny of China’s media activities in the United States. That focus has intensified as the novel coronavirus has continued to spread across the globe. Chinese government officials have tried to divert blame for the spread of the virus, which originated from Wuhan late last year.
One Chinese official, Lijian Zhao, falsely accused the U.S. Army in March of introducing the coronavirus to China last year.
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].