There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
Unless you are an evangelical you cannot go to Heaven.
That’s a pretty radical statement, isn’t it?
Some might find it hateful, others ignorant, but you need to know that it is absolutely true.
Now that I have your attention it is important to define what an evangelical is.
Merriam-Webster defines evangelical in three ways.
The first is: as someone who is in agreement with the Christian gospel especially as it is presented in the four Gospels.
The second simply: as someone who claims to be protestant.
And the third: as someone who emphasizes salvation by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ through personal conversion, the authority of Scripture, and the importance of preaching as contrasted with ritual.
Sadly, the world has hijacked the term.
As they have done with many other terms that we have always taken for granted, such as marriage, male or female amongst many others, they have done so with the term evangelical.
Many associate the word with politics. Others associate it with faith healers. But the fact of the matter is that simply put, being an evangelical means that you believe that salvation is found in scripture alone, through Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone and for the glory of God alone.
It is impossible to get into Heaven if you are not an evangelical.
I am not offering a solution to the problem of the hijacking of the term.
But I do simply want to point out, that just because a term has been hijacked by the world does not mean that we Christians must do away with it. In fact, I have found it to be a very helpful tool for evangelism.
If someone asks me what religion I am, sometimes I say, I’m an evangelical in the real sense of the word. Which always leads the one I’m talking to, to ask “what is the real definition of that word?”
It is so simple to explain the Gospel at that point because the Gospel is the definition. “An evangelical is someone who believes…”
As I pointed out last week, it is so important we define terms, and get beyond “do you believe in Jesus?” And so, it is so important that we define carefully what it means to be protestant and evangelical.
Because so many people claim to be evangelical and they are not, and perhaps some might say that they are not, but yet, they might be.
It really is pretty simple.
If you believe that justification is instantaneous you are an evangelical.
If you believe that justification is a process it is impossible for you to be a Christian and you still must be born again.
Justification is the act that God does on a sinner where he declares him to be righteous. Those who believe it is instantaneous understand that they cannot possibly contribute to their salvation, and most importantly understand that on judgment day, if anyone enters into heaven, that God alone deserves the glory for that. The sinner cannot merit for himself heaven, or he would steal glory from God.
On the other hand, those who believe in incremental regeneration are glory-thieves. They imagine that on the day of judgment God will see that they are “more good than bad” and will be allowed entry partly (or entirely) based on their merits. This is blasphemy and anyone who believes this cannot possibly be saved. This is the mentality Jesus despised and the reason he came to save hell-bound souls.
There are many self-proclaimed evangelicals who think that they will go to heaven one day because they are good people. These people are not evangelicals. They are self-worshippers and glory thieves. There are some, I’m sure, that believe the Gospel and are truly born again, that for whatever reason reject the label evangelical. These people, whether they like it or not, are evangelical.
It is unpopular in this day and age to tell someone that they are wrong. Especially that they are wrong about their identity. Some people seem to think that there is nothing more unloving than to question people and what they identify as.
But as we saw last week there is nothing more loving that to tell someone that they are wrong about their eternal destination. Or at the very least, to ask probing question about their faith to see if they are truly saved.
If someone thinks that they are trans-Korean despite being born British, then their body will suffer consequences and it would probably be loving to speak the truth to him and to get that man some help. But how much more important is it, if someone mistakenly thinks that they will be ok on judgment day, to not warn them that the God of the universe has already said in his word that he will cast them into hell if they are not born again? Eternity is at stake!
There are two types of people who seem to be losing the label of evangelical.
The first are people who reject the truth. They realize the exclusive nature of the Gospel. They realize the fact that the Bible demands holiness, and they reject and rebel against it.
The second are folks who reject the label. They are sick and tired of the baggage that seems to come with being evangelical. They don’t want to be aligned with political parties and in some cases with what they would deem the “American church”. I would simply point out that being evangelical is not a movement or a party but rather simply something you believe in your heart. It has nothing to do with politics, nationality or with color of skin, but entirely to do with whether you are born again and have received a new heart. If you are staunchly anti-evangelical, you might still be one, and if you accept the label, you might still need to become one.
It may come to the point one day where we might have to start thinking about new terms to describe ourselves, and if you look at these troubling surveys that day might be already here, but for now I have found “I am an evangelical by the real definition of the term” to be an adequate statement that has opened doors to explain the Gospel in a clear and quick way.
Wrong Could Be Expiated Only by Immanuel Numbers 35:33; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Hebrews 2:17
The wrong that man had done to the Divine Majesty should be expiated by none but man, and could be by none but God. Behold then the wonderful conjunction of both in the one Immanuel!
JOHN HOWE
Ritzema, E., & Vince, E. (Eds.). (2013). 300 Quotations for Preachers from the Puritans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
We Love Our Opinion Because It Is Ours Job 32:2; Luke 10:29; 16:15
Nature works in us all a love to our own counsels. The contradiction of others is a fan to inflame that love. Our love, set on fire to maintain that which once we have done, sharpens the wit to dispute, to argue, and by all means to reason for it.
RICHARD HOOKER
Ritzema, E. (2013). 300 Quotations for Preachers from the Reformation. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
A few weeks ago, I was sharing the Gospel with a group of kids at a summer camp. Most of the kids were from a Christian, church-going background. I always ask some key questions when I am sharing the Gospel in that kind of format.
One of the questions I asked was this:
What does a person need in order to have eternal life through Jesus Christ?
To be honest, I was shocked at some of the answers I got. One girl in particular believed that Jesus alone is not enough to have eternal life. She believed you also had to do a lot of good works to enter heaven. Several of the kids affirmed this line of thinking. Plain and simple, they believed in a works salvation. Which obviously moves away from grace and into having to earn your way to eternal life.
I took the opportunity to share with the group of kids that salvation isn’t based on what you do, but rather on who you know as your Savior…Jesus.
I used an illustration to help them see this. This is a great illustration to share when you are teaching kids that you can’t earn your way to heaven.
“Let’s say that I brought you a gift. It was already paid for. It had your name on it. I held it out to you. What would you have to do for it to be yours? That’s right. You would have to reach out and accept it.
Does Jesus love everyone? Yes. But is everyone going to heaven? No. Because some people say, ‘I don’t want the gift Jesus is offering me. I don’t believe He is the only way to heaven. He can keep His gift.’
Would those people be going to heaven? No. Because they didn’t accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation. If you want to live with Jesus forever one day, there has to be a time when you reach out and accept His gift of salvation.”
Think about this as well. If something is a gift, you can’t earn it, buy it or work for it. It is something you must reach out and accept.
What if I brought you a gift, but before I handed it to you, I said, “You have to wash my car before I give you this.” Would that be a gift? No. Because you had to work for it. Again, if something is a gift, you can’t earn it or buy it.
“God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”
Notice how this verse shows us that salvation is a gift from God that we must accept by faith. There is nothing you can do to earn it. It must be accepted freely.
There is nothing more important than sharing the Gospel with children. We must present it clearly, so it can be understood and accepted by the next generation.
The culture today’s kids are growing up in says there are many pathways to God. And to say that there is only one way is intolerant, unkind and narrow-minded,
Share John 14:16 with kids and help them examine the exclusive claims that Jesus made.
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Is Jesus really the only way to heaven? Yes. And we must share the Gospel clearly so kids understand and believe the exclusive claims that Jesus made.
What the next generation needs more than anything else is a personal relationship with Jesus. Let’s be faithful to share God’s plan of salvation with them.
We are on a quest for identity. Marketers who prey on the weak know this, and they sell us their products and services through this idea: you are not at your best yet; buy my product, and you will be. At least until we convince you that you are not, again, in our next ad, and we repeat the cycle endlessly.
Everyone has a practical and theological anthropology regardless of whether we claim to be Christians or atheists or profess any other religion. We have our own answers to questions such as Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we headed?
One of the doctrines of grace comes under fire as it challenges everyone’s anthropology that no matter what, at the core, (and apart from Jesus Christ) we are good people. We have excuses ready to prove that no matter what we have done wrong, it was not our fault. Perhaps in our days of canceling others, this doctrine might even be misused to justify the lack of redemption we offer to others who have sinned.
This is the doctrine of total depravity.
In this article, I will define this doctrine and give some historical context. Total depravity is an important component of a biblically-sound anthropology, yet, it is only one component. With a broader understanding of total depravity, we will be able to avoid unhelpful caricatures and horrifying abuses of this precious doctrine.
Total Depravity: A Definition
Defining this doctrine requires us to explain a part of who we are after the fall. John Piper provides a succinct explanation in Five Points: Towards a Deeper Experience of God’s Grace. Piper says, “Our sinful corruption is so deep and so strong as to make us slaves of sin and morally unable to overcome our own rebellion and blindness. This inability to save ourselves from ourselves is total. We are utterly dependent on God’s grace to overcome our rebellion, give us eyes to see, and effectively draw us to the Savior” (15).
Wayne Grudem in his Systematic Theologywrites, “This total lack of spiritual good and inability to do good before God has traditionally been called ‘total depravity,’ but I will not use the phrase here because it is easily subject to misunderstanding. It can give the impression that no good in any sense can be done by unbelievers, a meaning that is certainly not intended by that term or by this doctrine” (627).
Michael Horton in The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Waynotes that “one of the interesting paradoxes of Calvin’s thought is that he simultaneously affirmed the total integrity of humanity as created and the total depravity of humanity as fallen[…] The biblical view is constantly challenging our attempts to exonerate ourselves by fixing the blame on something outside of ourselves” (432).
Horton explains that “what is meant by ‘total’ is that the whole nature of humanity, not only the body and its desires but the soul, mind, heart, and soul, is corrupt” echoing Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology. Berkhof says that inherited pollution or total depravity is not “that every man is as thoroughly depraved as he can possibly become,” or “has no innate knowledge of the will of God, nor a conscience that discriminates between good and evil,” or “that sinful man does not often admire virtuous character and actions in others, or is incapable of disinterested affections and actions in his relations with his fellow-men,” or “that every unregenerate man will, in virtue of his inherent sinfulness, indulge in every form of sin” (246-247).
“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Such is the extensiveness of our depravity. At the root of who we are after the Fall is sin.
Some History
It is false that total depravity is Calvin’s invention, something out of his theological system. The formal articulation of the doctrine in the Canons of Dort came as a response to the doctrine of Jacob Arminius and the Arminian Remonstrants. Yet, both sides of the theological dispute affirmed the doctrine of total depravity. In some sense and in some ways, Calvinists and Arminians actually agree on this doctrine. Matthew Barrett shows in The Grace of Godliness: An Introduction to Doctrine and Piety in the Canons of Dort, in the Arminian Remonstrants’ own words, that they affirmed man’s “need of divine grace if he is to be lifted out of this state of inability” (79).
The difference is with the doctrine of effectual grace. The grace that the Remonstrants identified as necessary was prevenient or cooperating, elevating the role of man in contributing to or thwarting God’s saving purposes. For now, suffice it to say that the biblical background affirms total depravity. What the two groups could not affirm together is how man is saved from his depravity.
Total Depravity and the Image of God
Having established that man is corrupt to the core and utterly unable to save himself from this bondage, we must have in mind the entire canon of Scripture. That man in his fallen state is totally, radically deprived is one part of anthropology but not the whole thing. Man was created by God in his likeness and image (Gen 1:26-27).
Man is made in the image of God, and that image, though distorted and marred by sin, is still present. In the words of the Gettys in their song, My Worth Is Not In What I Own, “Two wonders here that I confess/My worth and my unworthiness/My value fixed—my ransom paid/At the cross.” Every human being is infinitely valuable because he is made in the image of God. Yet, as the effects, penalties, and consequences of sin weigh us down, our inability to choose God on our own becomes clear.
Jesus Christ came into the world and became a man, as we are in every way except for sin, to live the perfect life we could never live and to nail all our sins to His cross once and for all, so that as He rose again, we can have true hope of eternal restoration and renewal in glorified bodies that will no longer be subject to the groans of life in the fallen world, of disease and sorrow, pain and death. Jesus is making all things new.
Yes, the Puritans are right to sing of us as worms sometimes (“A guilty, weak, and helpless worm, on Thy kind arms I fall,/Be Thou my strength and righteousness, my Jesus and my all”).
But only partly and sometimes.
We are not solely worms. We are also the creation of God. The beauty, intricacy, intelligence, emotions, and complexity of human beings are part of the testimony of natural revelation as to the existence of God. We cannot minimize the image of God in human beings, including its implications related to race, equal worth, redemption, forgiveness, and hope.
Salvation
We need God for our salvation. We cannot save ourselves. Before regeneration, human beings are slaves to sin. The biblical testimony for that is clear: John 3:5-8, 8:34; Romans 3:10-18; Ephesians 2:1-2; 1 Peter 1:3-5. No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him, Jesus said in John 6:44. The radically-depraved man has only one hope out of bondage. Otherwise, he is the living dead, to highlight Ephesians 2. We may think we are alive, but we aren’t. Apart from Jesus, we are dead in our trespasses and sins.
God must intervene. God must save us.
Only Jesus can rescue us. And He came into the world to do just that: to call us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).
Sanctification
At salvation, a lifelong process of sanctification starts, the transformation of the individual into the image of Christ, one degree of glory to the next (2 Cor 3:18). The believer, the saint, is being sanctified (Hebrews 10:10, 14) and has the certainty that his glorification is sure (Romans 8:29-30).
This doesn’t mean that the saint lives a perfect life. Only Jesus did that.
Unfortunately, sometimes the believer is taught to overly doubt his heart. A reference to Jeremiah 17:9 is made, the believer may end up doubting when he shouldn’t. Yes, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick. But, for the believer, a twin reality is also true: the peace of Christ rules our hearts now through the Holy Spirit. The book of Colossians speaks of the reality of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27, 3:15). So I must be wary of my heart, but I also have the Holy Spirit enlightening His Word, convicting my heart, and healing my soul.
Abuse of this doctrine is asking grace for ongoing, unrepentant sin. It is portrayed as, “We know we are radically depraved, why don’t we give one another plenty of grace?” It sounds very Christ-like and polite. Except that Christ has called us to be holy as He is holy. He ascended to the heavens to intercede for us and to send the Holy Spirit to work out our sanctification into holiness. We cannot misuse radical depravity to cheapen grace and give free license for sin to rule.
Total Depravity and the Future
Where are we going? Every anthropology must end with the future. And our future will see the end of radical depravity. For the believer the picture is one of unbeatable hope:
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).
Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. (Deuteronomy 33:25)
Here are two things provided for the pilgrim: shoes and strength.
As for the shoes: they are very needful for traveling along rough ways and for trampling upon deadly foes. We shall not go barefoot—this would not be suitable for princes of the blood royal. Our shoes shall not be at all of the common sort, for they shall have soles of durable metal, which will not wear out even if the journey be long and difficult. We shall have protection proportionate to the necessities of the road and the battle. Wherefore let us march boldly on, fearing no harm even though we tread on serpents or set our foot upon the dragon himself.
As for the strength: it shall be continued as long as our days shall continue, and it shall be proportioned to the stress and burden of those days. The words are few, “as thy days thy strength,” but the meaning is full. This day we may look for trial, and for work which will require energy, but we may just as confidently look for equal strength. This word given to Asher is given to us also who have faith wherewith to appropriate it. Let us rise to the holy boldness which it is calculated to create within the believing heart.
“But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NLT)
As God’s people, one of the privileges we have is to serve Him and make Him known in our generation. Our labor is a labor of love and here are a few “little words” that can help bring understanding to the serving we do…
What we do is for the Lord…this helps us understand our mission. All we do, we do in obedience to His will and calling upon our lives, and not because of our ambition or personal agenda.
What we do is unto the Lord… this helps us understand our motivation. All we do is to please Him and bring Him glory, instead of seeking to please others.
What we do is with the Lord… this helps us understand our assignment. All we do is as co-laborers with the Lord, and not as independent servants.
What we do is because of the Lord… this helps us understand our stewardship. All we do is in His vineyard. It is His work and His ministry, not our ministry or our work.
What we do is in the Lord… this helps us understand our position. We serve from a place of rest and grace, and not from a place of striving or placing confidence in the flesh.
What we do is by the Lord… this helps us understand our source. All we have comes from Him, and without Him we would be empty vessels with nothing to give.
What we do is through the Lord… this helps us understand our effectiveness. We serve with the strength and the power which He supplies, understanding that it is not by human might or power, but by the Lord’s Spirit, that He does His work.
“With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:7-8
If you read this whole chapter in Isaiah, it pictures an awesome God. A God who sits on a throne, yet he has humanity on his mind. He has a plan. He has tasks for us to accomplish.
However, God has given all of us a will — to choose to work with him or not. Even when he calls Isaiah here to foretell what is to come, he doesn’t force him to participate in his plan.
Here we see God showing Isaiah that he wants to send him to be his spokesperson. He wants to use his lips so he can talk to others on his behalf.
The man is stunned. He thinks his lips are filthy. How can such an awesome God want him to do things for him? Yet, there’s a plan in place. There’s a solution. Isaiah won’t have to worry about his own unclean lips. God takes care of that. He touched the man’s lips in the vision. So God shows him he’s working at making him clean and guilt-free so he can serve him.
While God has a mission to offer to Isaiah, the man has his say in it. God wants to co-work with Isaiah. He wants the man to take part in the assignment willingly. He wants the man to join him wholeheartedly and do the work as planned.
So, that’s the co-mission on Isaiah’s life — to do the will of the Father. What is ours?
Dear Lord, I offer myself wholeheartedly to you. Cleanse me and show me how I can accomplish the assignment you have for me in your strength. In Jesus’ name I ask.
Are you hearing God co-mission you for something? If you have anything standing in the way, why don’t you surrender yourself to him, inviting him to cleanse you? He will joyfully do so and empower you to serve him in the areas he has called you.
We know truth, not only by the reason, but also by the heart.
BLAISE PASCAL
Ritzema, E. (Ed.). (2012). 300 Quotations for Preachers. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Be Alert at the Beginnings of Temptation Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38; Luke 22:40, 46; Galatians 6:1; 1 Peter 5:8
We must be especially alert against the beginnings of temptation, for the enemy is more easily conquered if he is refused admittance to the mind and is met beyond the threshold when he knocks.
THOMAS À KEMPIS
Ritzema, E., & Brant, R. (Eds.). (2013). 300 quotations for preachers from the Medieval church. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you… things which angels desire to look into. – 1 Peter 1:10,12b
Scripture reading: 1 Peter 1:10-12
Have you ever been so excited about good news that you were sitting on the edge of your seat? Well, the good news of our salvation is something that has the angels on the edge of their seats. They can’t get enough of it.
The angels have always been enthusiastic cheerleaders of God’s great work. When they witnessed God’s speaking the physical world into existence at Creation, they sang for joy! (Job 38:7). When Jesus was born, the heavenly host sang, “Glory to God in the highest!” (Luke 2:14). At Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, they sing, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!” (Revelation 5:12). When one sinner comes to repentance, they rejoice with God in heaven (Luke 15:7,10). It is like they are sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what happens next.
Prophets in the past received a faint outline of what was to come. By God’s grace and by His Spirit, we have come to see the suffering and glory of Jesus in its full accomplishment! It’s like the difference between receiving a message by Morse code and seeing something in technicolour on an ultra-HD TV; only what we have come to know in Christ is even far, far more glorious.
Jesus did suffer. He completed His atoning work. He is glorified! Now, by God’s Word and Spirit, we know that this hope of glory is ours. If even the angels can’t get enough of this, shouldn’t we also desire to look into this blessing more?
Suggestions for prayer
Thank God for the finished Word and work of Christ. Thank Him for the work of the Spirit in helping us to see and know the hope that is ours because of the suffering and glory of Jesus. Pray for a desire to know and appreciate this blessing more.
Rev. John A. Bouwers is pastor of the Hope Reformed Church (URCNA) in Brampton, ON, where he has served since December 2017. He is married to Julie and they have been blessed with six children and twelve grandchildren. This daily devotional is also available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional.
“The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.” —George Washington (1796)
Democrat lawmakers disparage America on Independence Day.
Thomas Gallatin
On July 3rd, The New York Times ran an interesting article titled, “A Fourth of July Symbol of Unity That May No Longer Unite,” wherein the symbol referred to was the American flag. The story attempted to make the case that Old Glory has become increasingly politicized and therefore politically divisive. To be fair, the article was relatively balanced, sharing views from Americans on both sides of the political aisle. But the fact that some Americans are divided over the flag is not exactly a testament to the “unity” Joe Biden promised to bring.
One of the most telling points the article notes is this: “While 66 percent of Republicans surveyed said they associated the flag with their own party, only 34 percent of Democrats said the same.” The question naturally arises: Why has the foremost symbol of American unity become seemingly so divisive? Well, the sentiments expressed over the weekend by a couple of Democrat lawmakers, Representatives Maxine Waters and Cori Bush, go a long way in answering that question.
“July 4th… & so, the Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal. Equal to what?” Waters wrote on social media. “Only white men? Isn’t it something that they wrote this in 1776 when African Americans were enslaved? They weren’t thinking about us then, but we’re thinking about us now!”
Bush’s dubious claims were just as bad: “When they say that the 4th of July is about American freedom, remember this: the freedom they’re referring to is for white people. This land is stolen land and Black people still aren’t free.”
The pushback from Republicans was immediate. “Hateful, divisive lies,” chastised Senator Ted Cruz. “The Left hates America. Believe them when they tell you this.”
Both Waters and Bush are, of course, black women. They are members of Congress and some of the most powerful people in the country. But they hate the country they help run.
At the root of the growing division in America — and the hate espoused by Waters, Bush, and others — is the poisonous Marxist ideology of Critical Race Theory, which by design divides Americans along identitarian lines and encourages hatred by constantly elevating past grievances. CRT is an ideology that has always hated the value of individual liberty, seeing it as the primary problem in society preventing the realization of “equity.” Therefore, leftists have exploited those instances in American history where the nation has failed to live up to our founding ideals, and they do so not to encourage a greater realization of those ideals but to attack them.
Waters and Bush, along with a slew of other radical leftists, attack America, her flag, her people, and her history because they don’t believe in America. Through their words and actions they encourage more hatred of a nation that has brought more freedom, equality, and opportunity than any other nation in history.
Thankfully, there are Americans like boxing legend George Foreman who push back against this leftist hate and proudly express patriotism. As Foreman put it, “For about 54 years, people have ask[ed] me not to keep saying ‘I love America’. Well I do and I’m not ashamed. Don’t leave it. Love it.” Amen.
A cookout costs $0.16 less than last year, says the White House. Can we get a fact-check?
Nate Jackson
As Americans return to work after celebrating Independence Day, it’s worth surveying the economy.
First of all, more Americans are indeed returning to work. Last Friday’s June jobs report was decent, showing that employers hired 850,000 people. The headline unemployment rate ticked up one notch to 5.9%, which is arguably a good sign because more people are looking for jobs. With 9.3 million openings, that shouldn’t be hard — at least for anyone not making more money by remaining unemployed.
“None of this happened by accident,” crowed Joe Biden. “It’s a direct result of the American Rescue Plan.” No, economic growth is in spite of Biden’s spending and government policies.
Perhaps Biden would like to explain why, if his policies are so effective, the places where the economy is revving up are the red states where governors are doing their best to ignore or work around his policies.
The Wall Street Journal editorial board highlights one significant way Democrat policies are distorting not just the job market but supply chains:
As businesses bid up wages, more workers are quitting for higher-paying jobs. The number of workers who voluntarily left their jobs to look for other work increased by 164,000 to 942,000. High worker turnover makes it hard to run a business, and the labor shortage is causing supply-chain problems and pushing up prices. Inflation has eroded wage gains in recent months.
We’ve recently noted the tax of rising inflation, as well as the problems in the supply chain caused by employment shortages.
Nevertheless, we’re told all is well. The White House put out a social media boast prior to our weekend celebrations: “The cost of a 4th of July cookout in 2021 is down $0.16 from last year.”
The claim uses data from the American Farm Bureau Federation, but, to borrow a label from the Leftmedia “fact-checkers,” it’s “missing context.”
For one thing, fewer Americans were doing anything last July because of a certain pandemic. Second, the cost of a cookout is 8% higher than in 2019, when everyone was still living normally. Third, apparently a can of pork and beans is down 13%, but if you needed (ahem) gas to drive anywhere for your Fourth of July BBQ, you spent 7% more. Even at that, many stations were experiencing shortages over the weekend.
The point here isn’t to say the economy is in dire straits. Clearly, the recovery is happening. The problem is that it’s going in fits and starts because it’s being hindered by government spending and market distortions, as well as remaining restrictions on activity in heavily populated blue states. More taxes and more spending are not the answer.
His goal of 70% of Americans receiving the COVID vaccine is not realized. But that’s not a bad thing.
Thomas Gallatin
Remember when Joe Biden said that if we obey his decrees, he would give us permission to gather in small groups to “make this Independence Day something special”? What’s “special” about Independence Day, of course, is that it celebrates the American Revolution against a government that was decreeing how we could live our lives.
Well, despite coming up short of Biden’s widely touted COVID vaccination goal — 70% of American adults vaccinated by Independence Day — he proclaimed, “We’re closer than ever to declaring our independence from a deadly virus.” And the White House insisted that the administration had “succeeded beyond our highest expectations.”
The real numbers: Sixty-seven percent of Americans have been vaccinated, about eight million shy of his goal. During his Fourth of July remarks, Biden called vaccination “the most patriotic thing you can do.” We’re guessing at least a few of the 33% who declined to get the shot would disagree.
Unfortunately, Biden has politicized the vaccine in many ways. For instance, last week, when it became apparent he wouldn’t make his goal, he shifted blame for the failure to — what else? — “racism.”
“There’s a reason why it’s been harder to get African Americans, initially, to get vaccinated,” Biden opined. “Because they’re used to being experimented on — the Tuskegee Airmen and others. People have memories. People have long memories.” Biden also contended that Hispanic Americans have been hard to convince to get vaccinated because “they’re worried that they’ll be vaccinated and deported.” So, according to Biden, all Hispanics are illegal immigrants?
The White House sought to promote another alternate narrative for the reason it came up short of Biden’s July 4th goal, and that would be young people: “The reality is, many younger Americans have felt like COVID-19 is not something that impacts them and have been less eager to get the shot.”
Naturally, the White House was quick to claim it’s not moving the goal posts: “It’s less about the number and more about, does America look like America again? Have we protected some of our most vulnerable? Not only is the answer yes, but we’ve done it faster than we anticipated.”
That’s classic political spin designed to distract from the fact that Biden did not meet his goal. And let’s not forget that the only reason Biden was even able to put forward a vaccination goal was because multiple vaccines were developed in record time under Donald Trump’s leadership, with nearly a million Americans a day receiving COVID vaccines by the time Biden entered office. The lion’s share of the vaccination credit goes to Trump, not Biden — despite the latter’s disgraceful attempts to claim credit.
Meanwhile, the mainstream media touts China’s having administered one billion vaccine doses, as if the Chinese people have a choice in the matter. In totalitarian governmental systems like the one controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, individuals have no freedom to challenge or resist government diktats.
Individual freedom is a fundamental feature of the American system of government, not a bug to be eradicated, as the Leftmedia regularly insinuates. That Americans are free without government coercion to choose whether or not they want to get vaccinated is only a problem for those wishing to exert control. To diminish and ridicule people’s liberty to choose is to attack the very spirit of America.
The former CIA director and secretary of state warns against the divisive nature of Critical Race Theory.
Douglas Andrews
It’s safe to say that few Americans love this country more than Mike Pompeo. The kid from Fountain Valley, California, graduated first in his class at West Point and served as an armor officer in the U.S. Army before co-founding and building an aerospace company in Kansas. But rather than remain in the private sector, he returned to public service — first as a congressman, and then as CIA director and secretary of state under President Donald Trump.
In a July 4 interview with radio host John Catsimatidis (the Pompeo portion begins at the 16:00 mark), he reflected on “this asset we’ve been given because we are just privileged to be Americans … and how we should never take it for granted.”
His host then asked him about the future and what he’s worried about, and Pompeo didn’t hesitate.
This is a pretty resilient nation, [but] I’m worried about some of the things being taught in our schools. If we teach that [the] founding of the United States of America was somehow flawed, it was corrupt, it was racist, that’s really dangerous. It strikes at the very moorings, the very foundations of our country. And so I certainly worry about that. It’s called Critical Race Theory sometimes or the 1619 Project, but at the end they’re attacking the central understandings that we have shared together for 245 years in an attempt to divide the country. If that continues, if that is allowed to flourish and prosper, then we could in fact lose this thing that is so special. We can’t let that happen.
Unfortunately, Secretary Pompeo was preaching to the choir. If only he’d had an audience in the faculty lounge at the University of North Carolina, which disgraced itself last week by offering a tenured professorship — the position of Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism — to New York Times journalist hack Nikole Hannah-Jones. Jones is the author of the roundly and widely discredited 1619 Project, which stresses that America was founded not with its Declaration of Independence in 1776 but with the landing of the first slave ship on its shores in 1619. (Who knew, for example, that we fought the Revolutionary War to preserve slavery, and that blacks were mostly on their own in the fight to abolish that vile institution?)
This morning, however, Hannah-Jones added eternal insult to UNC’s self-inflicted injury when she declined the school’s offer and instead decided to take a professorship at Washington DC’s historically black Howard University.
As for Pompeo, he’s worried about our education system at all levels, including our leftist institutions of higher ed:
They have lost what I was just talking about — this understanding of America and its traditions. [But] we can also make choices about where our kids go to school, and make sure that our kids are receiving an education that is broad. I’m happy if students take courses in philosophy and they learn about the history of socialism and the history of communism. I think when they learn that, they’ll see that those have failed every time they’ve been tried all around the world.“
As for CRT, Pompeo considers himself an optimist. “I’ve been out around the country these last days talking to people, and I don’t think anybody’s about to let that happen,” he says. “[But] I do worry that if we become fractured, or we lose faith in our constitutional principles, that somewhere, somehow, or some adversary like the Chinese Communist Party will come undermine what’s made our country so special.”
When there’s such a long list of real offenses, it’s not just conspiracy theory.
Harold Hutchison
In order to buy the notion that grassroots Patriots are succumbing to paranoia when it comes to the matter of Tucker Carlson’s claims about the National Security Agency (NSA), you have to ignore a lot of things. What sort of things? Let’s list them:
The politically motivated abuse of Missouri Governor Erik Greitens by a George Soros-backed prosecutor.
Andrew Cuomo’s effort to leverage the selective enforcement of financial regulations to coerce financial service companies to not do business with the NRA — an attempt to cripple the gun-rights group.
Efforts by bureaucrats to undermine President Donald Trump on policy.
Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby’s FCC complaint against a local TV station owned by a conservative media conglomerate.
The leak of the tax data of some of America’s richest people to ProPublica.
The charges against the Trump Organization from the Manhattan DA that amount to nitpicking over perks after another politically motivated fishing expedition involving James.
That list is hardly exhaustive, but let’s call this what it is: A pattern of the abuse of power for political gain. Tack on a long track record of hateful rhetoric from the Left, a list of double standards a mile long, corporate redlining, and Silicon Valley censorship, and the fact of the matter is that dismissing the notion that the National Security Agency has turned its focus where it shouldn’t is believable. This is bad news for a host of reasons.
First of all, the NSA’s job is to be snooping around foreign communications. Finding out the latest plots from al-Qaida, hacking into the Ministry of State Security for the People’s Republic of China, getting blackmail material to put a twist on political leadership from France to Bangladesh — all of that is well within the NSA’s purview. Tucker Carlson isn’t, and the resources used to spy on him were not used for their intended purpose.
But worse, the alleged misuse — and let’s be blunt, the track record of Democrats means that extending the benefit of the doubt to the NSA under the Biden administration makes playing with matches in the middle of a puddle of gasoline seem prudent — fosters distrust against an agency that needs implicit trust in order to protect the country. Why is that implicit trust necessary? Well, take one of the more controversial parts of the Global War on Terror.
Your Patriot Post team defended the use of enhanced interrogation because, while it was not exactly nice, it was the only way to get someone like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to spill his guts about what he knew. And while not all situations call for waterboarding someone, there are other times when our intelligence community will have to do things that people don’t like to think about in order to protect this country. This is why people needed to be held accountable for Spygate, and not just to avoid domestic discord.
The only people celebrating this NSA dustup are in places like Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran. Not only does it look like our intelligence community, at best, made a mistake that diverted resources from dealing with real enemies, but now our intelligence community will be less trusted by the party that takes those enemies seriously — and that will compromise efforts to keep America’s enemies in check. The compromising of those efforts will have dire consequences down the road, and grassroots Patriots should ensure an accounting for that.
The Chicago mayor thinks the criticism about her city’s carnage is due to racism and sexism.
Douglas Andrews
It’s been said that every citizenry gets the government they deserve. But only the coldest and cruelest of hearts could argue that the citizens of Chicago deserve the calamitous leadership of Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Take the events of this past weekend, for example, as reported by ABC 7 Eyewitness News:
From Friday at 6 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Monday, at least 100 people have been shot, including two CPD officers and five children 13 and younger. There were at least 18 killed.
Clearly, Chicago’s children aren’t safe in the city. And neither are its cops. A Chicago police commander and a sergeant were among those shot and wounded over the weekend. Their offense? Trying to disperse a crowd on Chicago’s West Side.
Sadly, this sort of thing happens all the time in the Windy City. And yet Lori Lightfoot is still collecting a paycheck.
That the mayor hasn’t yet resigned is testament to her unwillingness to accept responsibility for the day-in, day-out carnage taking place on her watch. What’s even more telling and more shameful, though, is how she dismisses the criticism she’s been getting for her disastrous leadership.
When a local PBS affiliate asked her how much of the criticism she’s received about the city’s crime surge has been the result of racism and sexism, she was quick to reply: “About 99%. … Women and people of color are always held to a different standard. I understand that, I’ve known that my whole life.”
That’s rubbish, of course. Lightfoot’s predecessor, Rahm Emanuel, got plenty of grief for failing to address the city’s violence, and the current mayor doesn’t deserve deferential treatment just because she’s a black lesbian. Nor should a racist who recently decided that she’d only grant interviews to journalists of color be allowed to play the race card so shamefully. Nor should she get a pass when she lies about the city’s crime rates, like she did last week.
“For instance,” as The Daily Wire reports, “Lightfoot claimed that ‘shootings year over year are down.’ In fact, shootings have surged 12% compared to the same time last year — and a whopping 59% compared to this time in 2019.” The city’s sexual assaults and murders are also up considerably, but who’s counting? Perhaps these crime statistics are racist and sexist as well.
Earlier, we said that Chicagoans can’t possibly deserve Lori Lightfoot. But then we got to thinking: Chicago has been run by Democrat mayors for the past 90 years. Maybe, sadly, de Maistre was right after all.
Catherine Mortensen: Progressives’ Plan B for Socialist Utopia — “Flatlining government spending is the only acceptable approach to paying for any infrastructure plan.”
Regrettably, SCOTUS declines to hear case of florist sued for not serving same-sex wedding (Fox News)
“DC excuse-making”: Voters blame Biden and Democrats, not filibuster, for gridlock (Washington Examiner)
Laptop shows Joe Biden attended meetings between Hunter and his Mexican business partners (NY Post)
Peter Daszak, major funder of Wuhan lab, refuses House request for documents (Just the News)
Adding insult to injury: U.S. taxpayers may have to pay $15 billion in damages to Canadian firm because Biden canceled pipeline (Daily Wire)
Big Tech Oligarchs
Dumb and dumber: Facebook roasted for blocking hashtag “revolution” on Independence Day weekend (Washington Times) | Facebook warns users of so-called extremism as conservatives slam “Orwellian thought police” (NY Post)
Broken system: Deportation backlog now nearly three years for average case (Washington Times)
Between 800 and 1,500 companies potentially affected by ransomware attack (Fox Business)
Harbinger: Bagram Airfield looted as U.S. forces slip away in the night (NY Post)
State Department rightly backs Iranian protesters (Free Beacon)
Annals of the “Social Justice” Caliphate
Woke Disney theme parks drop “boys and girls” salutation from fireworks show (Just the News)
Nation’s largest teachers union says it will teach Critical Race Theory in all 50 states, 14,000 school districts (Daily Wire)
Around the Nation
Tropical Storm Elsa has time to strengthen before reaching Florida (Fox News)
Miami condo collapse death toll rises to 27 after demolition clears way for search to resume (Fox News)
Allen West announces he is running against Texas Governor Greg Abbott in Republican primary (Texas Tribune)
Virginia Democrat gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe touts endorsement from anti-Israel group (Free Beacon)
Around the World
Afghan soldiers flee into bordering nation as Taliban advances (Daily Caller) | Tajikistan mobilizes 20,000 reservists to bolster border with Afghanistan (The Hill)
Chinese state media publishes “three-stage” plan for invading Taiwan (PM)
Other Notables
Public school enrollment drops 3% nationally (Just the News)
The three Biden scandals you’re not hearing about (Daily Wire)
Ghislaine Maxwell didn’t kill herself: Judge unseals documents linking Maxwell to the Clintons (PM)
Closing Arguments
Policy: Medicare is insolvent, and getting worse. Here are three ways to start fixing it. (The Federalist)
Policy: What should “care infrastructure” for working families look like? (AEI)
Humor: Facebook warns anyone attending 4th of July fireworks that they may have been exposed to extremist activity (Babylon Bee)
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Editor’s Note: Each week we receive hundreds of comments and correspondences — and we read every one of them. Click here for a few thought-provoking comments about specific articles. The views expressed therein don’t necessarily reflect those of The Patriot Post.
Insight: “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” —Wendell Phillips (1811-1884)
Upright: “Any society that takes the bare minimum amount of pride required to wish to sustain itself for its progeny must understand that instilling racially divisive poison in the minds of impressionable students is a recipe for disaster. No nation will long endure if its youngest generation is full of disdain, disgust and self-hatred.” —Josh Hammer
For the record: “Our ruling class is behaving as a group of adolescent children whose parents are on permanent vacation and left them their checkbook along with the keys to the car and liquor cabinet. Where are the adults?” —David Limbaugh
Political futures: “[Republicans] have nothing to gain by blessing a portion of President Joe Biden’s spending plans, when an ungodly amount of money is going to go out the door regardless of whether they vote for a chunk of it or not. … Bipartisanship has its uses, but so does partisanship. Joe Biden wants to be known for his FDR- and LBJ-like government spending, believing that it’s the key to political success and to an enduring legacy. Fine. Let him and his party own it.” —Rich Lowry
Worth a shot: “Maybe if we claimed the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) fireworks and 100th anniversary celebrations were contributing to global warming (climate change), the Biden administration might see that the CCP poses a greater danger to global peace and security more so now than at any point in its history.” —Tony Perkins
Grand delusions: “[January 6] nearly toppled our republic.” —former Congressman David Jolly
And last… “If we have reached the point in America where banning ballot harvesting and voting out-of-precinct are considered racist threats to the republic, we have run out of actual racist threats to the republic.” —Ben Shapiro
Breakthrough CRISPR Gene Therapy Could Be a ‘One and Done’ Injection Although cutting-edge, the therapies can be costly and intense. In one trial for sickle cell anemia, doctors remove cells from the body, edit them in a dish, and then infuse them back into the patient. In another trial, practitioners inject the gene editing system directly into target tissues in the eye.
Elsa set to charge right up the west coast of Florida Tropical Storm Elsa emerged back over warm water late Monday after making landfall in Cuba earlier in the day, with its sights now set on the United States. A hurricane watch has been issued for portions of Florida, along with a slew of tropical storm warnings, and a state of emergency was in effect for parts of the Sunshine State ahead of the storm’s projected United States landfall at midweek.
A Nanowire Network That Mimics the Brain Could Inspire New Designs in AI And now researchers from the University of Sydney and Japan’s National Institute for Material Science have shown they can use a random network of nanowires to replicate both the structure and the dynamics of the brain to solve simple processing tasks.
Fauci-Funded EcoHealth Refuses To Give Wuhan Documents To Congress Four months before the Obama administration suspended federal funding for gain-of-function research on US soil, the process by which virologists manipulate viruses to be more transmissible to humans, a subagency of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – headed by Dr. Anthony Fauci – effectively shifted this research to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) via a grant to nonprofit group EcoHealth Alliance, headed by Peter Daszak.
Fire breaks out at Tehran military facility The facility is located not far from the centrifuge factory that was damaged in a drone attack last month. A mysterious fire broke out on Monday evening at a military facility in western Tehran, not far from the centrifuge factory that was damaged in a drone attack last month. The military facility is located in an industrial area west of Iran’s capital. The cause of the fire is unknown. Firefighters were called to the scene.
Nasrallah: There are no people in Israel, only settlers and occupiers “There are no people in the Israeli entity, they are all occupiers and settlers,” said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during a speech on Monday afternoon. The speech was delivered at the opening of a conference titled “Palestine is Victorious,” convened in Lebanon in order to renew media discourse and manage the conflict with Israel.
‘New Iran nuclear deal must be secured before window of opportunity closes’ French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed there is “a window of opportunity” now for talks aimed at reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the French presidency said.
Chemical abortions in Minnesota reach all-time high amid pandemic 2020 marked the lowest number of abortions performed in Minnesota since 1974, but the prevalence of chemical abortions reached an all-time high, according to a new report from the Minnesota Department of Health.
Sun erupts with biggest solar flare in 4 years in early Fourth of July fireworks The sun erupted with a surprise solar flare on Saturday (July 3), the largest since 2017, in an early explosion of cosmic fireworks ahead of the Fourth of July. The solar flare occurred from a sunspot called AR2838 at 10:29 a.m. EDT (1429 GMT) on Saturday and registered as a powerful X1-class sun event, according to the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) tracking the sun’s weather. It caused a brief radio blackout on Earth, X-class solar flares are the strongest kind of eruptions on the sun.
Belarusian president: Whole world ‘bows’ to Jews due to Holocaust Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko claimed that the “whole world bows” to the Jews due to the Holocaust…”Jews were able to make the world remember [the Holocaust], and the whole world bows to them, being afraid of saying one wrong word to them,” said Lukashenko. “On our part, we, being tolerant and kind, did not want to hurt anyone’s feelings and let the things down to the point when they have have started to hurt us.”
ISIS targets electricity lines in Iraq to spread mayhem Iraqi security forces have a new problem to deal with, as ISIS terrorists have been attacking electric power lines, usually the kind that travel long distances on large pylons. ISIS has attacked dozens in recent weeks. Now Iraq says that it ambushed some of the terrorists near the city of Hit. It has succeeded in thwarting attacks in Diyala province.
Two attacks, less than 12 hours apart, target US forces in Iraq A day after rumors of an attack on US forces in Syria by pro-Iran militias, the militias made good on their threats with two rounds of attacks on the US in Iraq. During the afternoon, rockets targeted Al-Asad base and by the evening, drones were reported to have targeted an area near the US embassy.
Chinese state media publishes ‘three-stage’ plan for invading neighboring Taiwan The Chinese state-controlled magazine “Naval and Merchant Ships” published an article detailing a three-stage plan to invade Taiwan, involving ballistic missiles, fighter jet attacks, and amphibious landings on Taiwan’s beaches. Tensions continue to flare in the region, as Chinese fighters have been breaching Taiwanese airspace almost daily for months now.
Conservative Slovenian Prime Minister: ‘We Are Not a Colony’ of the EU Tiny Slovenia took charge of the world’s largest trading bloc this week, and immediately shone a harsh spotlight on one of the European Union’s most vexing problems: How to accommodate increasingly vocal member countries with very different visions of Europe’s future. Already, nationalist governments in Hungary and Poland are worrying their more establishment mainstream partners in the 27-nation EU.
Egypt angry as it says Ethiopia has resumed filling GERD Egypt has said it received an official notice from Ethiopia that it had started the next phase of filling a controversial huge dam on the Nile River’s main tributary…In a statement…the Egyptian irrigation ministry expressed its “firm rejection of this unilateral measure” and said the move was “a violation of international laws and norms that regulate projects built on the shared basins of international rivers”.
Hundreds of Unmarked Graves Found At Another Former School For Indigenous Children Leaders of Indigenous groups in Canada said Thursday investigators have found hundreds of unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school for Indigenous children, a discovery that follows last month’s report of 215 bodies found at another school.
Large explosive eruption at Ignatiy Stone Bank mud volcano in Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan A large explosive eruption took place at Azerbaijani Ignatiy Stone Bank mud volcano in the Caspian Sea, about 10 km (6.2 miles) from the Umid gas field and 30 km (18 miles) from the coast, at around 17:45 UTC (21:45 LT) on Sunday, July 4, 2021. This region has extensive offshore oil and gas fields, and a high concentration of mud volcanoes.
Big Tech Titans Aiming To Weaponize Your Sleep With Something Terrifyingly Called ‘Targeted Dream Incubation’ Ever hear of something called ‘targeted dream incubation’? You should. “TDI-advertising is not some fun gimmick, but a slippery slope with real consequences,” the letter warned. “The potential for misuse of these technologies is as ominous as it is obvious.” Over the past decade research has shown that people’s dreams can be more targeted, and that humans can be highly susceptible to thoughts or ideas introduced while they sleep.
We don’t need Trump to save America, just Jesus In this episode of A Stonewall’s Perspective, Alex talks about the fact that many Christians have fallen into idolatry. Many Christians happen to worship either America, or Donald Trump, or both. It is a dangerous thing that is going on in Christian society today.
Dental hygienist shares laundry list of horrifying side effects from Pfizer coronavirus vaccine: Convulsions, seizures and more A dental hygienist shared the different side effects she experienced after getting vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. Webb City, Missouri resident Kristi Dobbs received the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in January 2021 – and has suffered from multiple severe side effects since then. These serious side effects included convulsions, nighttime seizures, and tremors that undermined her job.
1984: From San Francisco To Australia, Local And National Governments Around The World Begin Mandating COVID-19 Vaccinations To Keep Your Job You know that tremendous feeling of freedom you are experiencing this Fourth of July long holiday weekend? You should write it down in your diary because it’s going to vanish away like so much powdery snow melting in the afternoon sun. Lockdowns may have run their course, the COVID-19 virus may have run its course, but the COVID-19 vaccine? Umm, nope, that’s here to stay, and the summertime Top 100 hit that’s speeding up the charts with a bullet is a little something called ‘No jab, No Job’. Catchy little tune, that.
Christian florist could lose her business, home and everything over Gay Marriage casePosted: 06 Jul 2021 07:25 AM PDT(OPINION) – Washington florist Barronelle Stutzman, a 76-year-old grandmother, could lose everything after the Supreme Court declined to hear her case Friday, according to an Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorney.National radio host and best-selling author Todd Starnes called the court’s decision a “devastating day for religious liberty in the United States” and pointed out that the ruling forcing her to participate in a same-sex wedding ceremony means “gay rights trump the rights of Christian business owners.”Matt Sharp, senior counsel for ADF, called the outcome “tragic,”, especially for Stutzman.Continue reading Christian florist could lose her business, home and everything over Gay Marriage case at End Time Headlines.
Canadian Christians fear new legislation passed by Trudeau could silence them onlinePosted: 06 Jul 2021 07:10 AM PDT(OPINION) – Canada’s Liberal Party headed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has proposed new legislation to criminalize “hate speech” online, punishable by a $50,000 fine (roughly $40,000 U.S.D.), paid to the government.“Canadians expect their government to take action against hate speech and hate crimes. These legislative changes would improve the remedies available to victims of hate speech and hate crimes and would hold individuals accountable. The actions we are taking today will help protect the vulnerable, empower those who are victimized and hold individuals to account for the hatred they spread online,” David Lametti, minister of justice and attorney general, said in a statement.Continue reading Canadian Christians fear new legislation passed by Trudeau could silence them online at End Time Headlines.
The sun just released the largest solar flare in 4 yearsPosted: 05 Jul 2021 06:51 PM PDTThe sun erupted with a surprise solar flare on Saturday (July 3), the largest since 2017, in an early explosion of cosmic fireworks ahead of the Fourth of July.The solar flare occurred from a sunspot called AR2838 at 10:29 a.m. EDT (1429 GMT) on Saturday and registered as a powerful X1-class sun event, according to the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) tracking the sun’s weather. It caused a brief radio blackout on Earth, center officials said in an update.Continue reading The sun just released the largest solar flare in 4 years at End Time Headlines.
WASHINGTON, D.C—The White House is scrambling in an effort to improve the likability of Vice President Kamala Harris. Reports indicate that Democrats fear for her chances of re-election if drastic measures are not taken immediately.
Looking for help anywhere they can get it, Democrats in their desperation have turned to Hillary Clinton to coach Kamala and teach her how to be more likable.
“First things first Kamala,” explained Clinton. “Next time you’re tempted to cackle uncontrollably, just call half of the U.S. ‘a basket of deplorables’ instead. Sure it’s divisive and unpopular, but it’s a step in the right direction for you.”
“Now let’s practice what to say when people hound you over and over for your inexplicable decision to avoid the border.” continued Hillary. “Repeat after me: ‘What. Difference. Does. It. Make.’ Say that and everyone will be off your case in no time!”
Hillary ran through several drills to try and help Kamala not cackle when she asked things like “are you a socialist?” or “why are kids in cages?”.
After realizing that strategy was hopeless, Hillary had to give up and try something else.
In a last-ditch effort, Hillary encouraged Kamala to start her own email scandal to keep everyone distracted and focused on something else. Hillary sighed, “Kamala, I know it sounds crazy, but if everyone’s talking about your emails and not your likability, you might finally see your public perception improve from where it’s at.”
A growing number of countries and territories around the world are forcing people, often in specific sectors, to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Streaming at 12 pm EST Support the show! Visit #MyPillow and get huge savings on products to make your lives better.
The following brief introduction is something that I am considering placing at the beginning of every article because the following items have changed America forever:
Fauci and his NIH/USAID friends conspired with the CHICOMS to bring a deadly virus to America
The virus gave local and state leaders the ability to violate the Constitutional rights of every American and give government the full authority over what was sovereign citizens.
The jointly developed virus achieved the political goal of removing Donald Trump from power. Without the virus, there would not have been the pretext for millions of illegitimate ballots that propelled Biden to victory over a populist president.
The United States has been taken over by avowed Bolshevik communists who are dedicated to the destruction of the United States. In the present time, America is being deindustrialized by woke and green policies. The cohesion of our military has been severely weakened by woke policies and treasonous leadership on the part of JCS leadership under General “I’m ashamed of my white privilege” Milley. The right to dissent is being eroded and criminalized as domestic terrorism. America is being stripped of anything that made it powerful in the name of the woke cultural revolution, Mao style.
As the US makes good on its promise to withdraw from Afghanistan by September 11th, Taliban insurgents are making large gains, primarily in the northern part of the country. Meanwhile, the Afghan military says as they depart, US troops are being less than helpful with the government in Kabul’s effort to consolidate its hold on other parts of the nation.
As several states have moved to ban the controversial ideology critical race theory (CRT) from public schools, thousands of teachers have pledged to continue to teach history with this perspective “regardless of the law.”
This comes as the nation’s largest teachers union has also heavily signaled support for teaching the controversial ideology in classrooms.
The Zinn Project, an organization named for the author Howard Zinn, who penned the book A People’s History of the United States, a far left take on American history, issued an open letter which was signed by 5,000 teachers and argued that the history of racism and oppression should not be omitted from America’s schools.
Laws that ban critical race theory from public schools do not seek to ban the history of slavery or race-based segregation from classrooms.
The pledge from the organization reads, “We, the undersigned educators, refuse to lie to young people about U.S. history and current events — regardless of the law.”
The letter declared that “from police violence, to the prison system, to the wealth gap, to maternal mortality rates, to housing, to education and beyond, the major institutions and systems of our country are deeply infected with anti-Blackness and its intersection with other forms of oppression. To not acknowledge this and help students understand the roots of U.S. racism is to deceive them — not educate them.”
“This history helps students understand the roots of inequality today and gives them the tools to shape a just future. It is not just a history of oppression, but also a history of how people have organized and created coalitions across race, class, and gender,” the letter, which accurately encapsulates the wildly ideological nature of critical race theory’s perspective on history, stated.
While you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who opposes teaching our nation’s history of racism and oppression, critics of CRT take issue with the assertion that our nation was founded for the sake of defending slavery, as is the central claim of the New York Times’ debunked 1916 Project. Many have also raised concerns that CRT itself is inherently racist and say it attaches moral characteristics to skin color.
All the same, as Fox News reports, the nation’s largest teachers union, the National Education Association “has approved a plan to ‘publicize’ critical race theory and dedicate a ‘team of staffers’ to assist union members looking to ‘fight back against anti-CRT rhetoric.’’
A resolution issued by the organization calls to “join with Black Lives Matter at School and the Zinn Education Project to call for a rally this year on Oct. 14 — George Floyd’s birthday — as a national day of action to teach lessons about structural racism and oppression.”
“Publicly (through existing media) convey its support for the accurate and honest teaching of social studies topics, including truthful and age-appropriate accountings of unpleasant aspects of American history, such as slavery, and the oppression and discrimination of Indigenous, Black, Brown, and other peoples of color, as well as the continued impact this history has on our current society,” the document pledges.
“The Association will further convey that in teaching these topics, it is reasonable and appropriate for curriculum to be informed by academic frameworks for understanding and interpreting the impact of the past on current society, including critical race theory.”
HD Editor’s Note: Why Is This News Biblically Relevant?
Ken Ham, discussing steps being taken in Australia to ban CTR, explained that the only way to understand humanity is through the lens of Scripture:
The only way to understand humanity is to view the history of the human race through the lens of Scripture and understand all humans belong to one biological race, all descendants of one man and one woman, all sinners, and all need to respond to the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.
It’s not the outside that determines who a person is, but the inside, the heart, the spiritual state of a person.
“But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7).
You can’t judge a person by their outside features!
When Jesus’ disciples came to Him and asked, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Jesus explained to them that one of the signs that would precede His coming would be “nations” rising against “nations.”
The word “nations” found in this verse (Matthew 24:7) is from the Greek word “ethnos,” where we get our English word for “ethnicity.” Therefore, this verse can also be read that “ethnicity shall rise against ethnicity” in the last days.
Racism is not new. However, what is new to our generation is the fabricated racism taught in schools, espoused by the media, and canceled by ‘culture.’ This stoking of division will, in the not too distant future, lead to genuine widespread racism. Racism is a sin. Creating division and hatred is a sin (Prov. 6:16-19, Luke 11:17, 1 John 2:9). All of these things are deeply rooted in a rebellion against God, His Word, and His design.
His father, US President Joe Biden insisted that he had never profited from Hunter’s business affairs abroad. He also expressed confidence that his son did not violate any laws, as Hunter faced an FBI probe.
The National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers union in the US representing 3 million public school employees in all 50 states, has thrown its weight behind critical race theory (CRT) pledging to hire staff to “fight back” against those who oppose these ideas and practices.
Dr. Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician to presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, has repeatedly said he has concerns about Biden’s mental state.
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