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
Francis Schaeffer sets the tone for his apologetical procedure by explaining the crisis of truth in America: “We are fundamentally affected by a new way of looking at truth. This change in the concept of the way we come to knowledge and truth is the most crucial problem facing America today” (The God Who Is There, 6). He believes a paradigm shift occurred around 1935 when the American attitude toward truth changed. Prior to this time, American’s were devoted to thinking about presuppositions, namely, the existence of absolutes, particularly in the areas of morals (ethics) and knowledge (epistemology). But the average American took it for granted that if a certain idea was true, it’s opposite was false. In other words, “absolutes imply antithesis.” The working antithesis is that God exists objectively (in antithesis) to his not existing.
Schaeffer believes that presuppositional apologetics would have stopped the decay. Incidentally, he maintains that the use of classical apologetics was effective prior to the shift because non-Christians were functioning on the surface with the same presuppositions, even though they did not have an adequate base for them.
The Role of Thomas Aquinas
Dr. Schaeffer maintains that Aquinas opened the way for the discussion of what is usually called the “nature and grace” controversy (Escape From Reason, 209). He contends that Aquinas set up a dichotomy of grace versus nature.
Aquinas taught that the will of man was fallen, but the intellect was not. The net result, according to Schaeffer, is that man’s intellect is seen as autonomous. Schaeffer maintains that the teaching of Aquinas led to the development of the so-called Natural Theology where theology could be pursued independent of the Scriptures. The vital principle to understand according to Schaeffer is that “as nature was made autonomous, nature began to ‘eat up’ grace” (Escape From Reason, 212).
Anthropology
Schaeffer militates against this so-called “grace/nature” dichotomy and insists that Christ is equally Lord in both areas. He suggests that God made the whole man and is consequently interested in the whole man. When the historic space-time Fall took place, it affected the whole man, not merely the will as Aquinas taught. Thus, Schaeffer taught that the whole man is saved and the whole man will eventually be glorified and perfectly redeemed.
Since God made man in His own image, man is not caught in the wheels of determinism: “The Christian position is that since man is made in the image of God and even though he is a sinner, he can do those things that are tremendous – he can influence history for this life and the life to come, for himself and others” (Death In The City, 258).
Schaeffer argues that Evangelicals have such a strong tendency to combat humanism that they end up making man a “zero.” He adds, “Man is indeed lost but that does not mean he is nothing . . . From the biblical viewpoint, man is lost, but great” (Death In The City, 258-259). Therefore, Schaeffer’s anthropological position is that man is sinful, yet he is significant because he is made in the image of God. And regenerate man is, as the Reformers emphasized, simul iustus et peccator – simultaneously righteous and sinful.
Sin Quenches the Spirit Like Water on Fire Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:16–17; 1 Thessalonians 5:19
Fire is quenched by pouring on water or withdrawing fuel; so the Spirit is quenched by living in sin, which is like pouring on water; or not improving our gifts and grace, which is like withdrawing the fuel.
THOMAS MANTON
Ritzema, E., & Vince, E. (Eds.). (2013). 300 Quotations for Preachers from the Puritans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Desires Should Be Satisfied in God Matthew 5:6, 48; Philippians 4:11–12; Hebrews 13:5; 1 Peter 1:14–16
He will never attain to perfection who will not labor to be satisfied with this: that all his natural and spiritual desires should be satisfied in the absence of everything which is not God. This is most necessary for an abiding peace and tranquility of spirit.
JOHN OF THE CROSS
Ritzema, E. (2013). 300 Quotations for Preachers from the Reformation. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
I will give you the sure mercies of David. (Acts 13:34)
Nothing of man is sure; but everything of God is so. Especially are covenant mercies sure mercies, even as David said “an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure.”
We are sure that the Lord meant His mercy. He did not speak mere wards: there is substance and truth in every one of His promises. His mercies are mercies indeed. Even if a promise seems as if it must drop through by reason of death, yet it never shall, for the good Lord will make good His word.
We are sure that the Lord will bestow promised mercies on all His covenanted ones. They shall come in due course to all the chosen of the Lord. They are sure to all the seed, from the least of them unto the greatest of them. We are sure that the Lord will continue His mercies to His own people. He does not give and take. What He has granted us is the token of much more. That which we have not yet received is as sure as that which has already come; therefore, let us wait before the Lord and be still. There is no justifiable reason for the least doubt. God’s love, and word, and faithfulness are sure. Many things are questionable, but of the Lord we sing—
Can Christian’s become scientists, or is there something about science that demands a non-religious worldview? Are faith in God and an interest in the sciences completely incompatible? How have Christians engaged the sciences historically, and are there any clues from history that can help us move forward as believers who are interested in the sciences? J. Warner answers these questions in this episode of the NRBtv Cold-Case Christianity Broadcast.
For more information about the impact Jesus and His followers had on science, read Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World That Rejects the Bible. This unique and innovative book makes a case for the historicity and Deity of Jesus from history alone, without relying on the New Testament manuscripts. It contains over 400 illustrations and is accompanied by a ten-session Person of Interest DVD Set (and Investigator’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case.
Previously we talked briefly about Matthew 5:43-44 when Jesus said, “You have heard it said…” and then immediately corrected a blatant error that was circulating during His day regarding hating one’s enemies. I noted in that article I’d get to what Paul meant in Ephesians 4:24 (see also Romans 13:14 and 2 Corinthians 5:17) separately and I’d like to address that in this article.
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:20-24 NKJV; emphasis added)
Keeping it within the context of verses surrounding it, Ephesians 4:24 commands us to “put on the new man” and Paul notes that this new man (or new creation), was created by God and fitted within each person who becomes authentically saved. Paul also notes that we need to “put off” our former conduct. We are to turn our backs on anything that does not glorify God. Why? Because of the new man or creation within us that is designed to bring God glory by helping us live a life that thinks, says and does what is right and true.
In essence, Paul is saying that it is our responsibility to do away with or put off sinful things. This can only be accomplished by putting on the true things that bring God glory. There is no contradiction in what Paul is telling us in Ephesians 4 (and echoes in Romans 13 and 2 Corinthians 5), and what I discussed in my previous article about Jesus telling us to love our enemies.
We noted in order to live correctly (thought, word and deed), there must be a change in us first and foremost. Scripture tells us (and Paul states in the above three passages), that this change has already occurred within us when we became Christians. While God did not remove our sin nature (which won’t happen until after this life), He did place within us the new man/creation and it is on this new creation we must seek to live in unity. We must allow this new creation to live its temperament out in our lives.
Paul’s use of the phrase “put on the new man” is Paul saying that we must develop the habit of deferring to that new creation within us, instead of automatically deferring to the our sin nature. Prior to our salvation, we did not have that option. Only after we received salvation did we gain the ability from within to choose to live the way God wants us to live.
So to “put on the new man” is another way of saying what I was discussing “You’ve Heard It Said.” To actually put on the new man, we must learn to grow in our fear of (offending) the Lord so that we more naturally live the life that God wants us to live.
Our feelings can work for us or against us. If we are sad or feeling blue, we don’t necessarily want to do certain things. We’d rather sit around and contemplate things. We might not have the energy to do many things. Conversely, when we are overjoyed or ecstatic about something, it is far easier to find the motivation to do certain things. In fact, the exuberant feelings themselves act as our motivator, don’t they?
Here’s a short “Wretched” video in which Todd Friel comments on the problem of so many professing Christians in Christendom today, who are deceived into thinking that because they repeated a few formulaic words, that – poof! – they magically became Christians with no concern for the actual cost involved in being a Christian.
This common belief today is so radically removed from the truth of the Gospel and leaves people with no discernible motivation to even try to live a life that God can say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)
Paul emphasizes the fact that actually living the Christian life means two things: we “put off” and we “put on.” Putting off refers to all those things throughout the Scriptures that God hates and finds repulsive. Putting on refers to only those things God is glorified by.
Scripture passages like 2 Timothy 3:1-5 seems to be Paul specifically talking about the lost of this world. However, in reality, there are many within Christendom who profess to be Christians who live in the same self-serving way. Are they saved or not? Only God knows, but the fruit of their lives seems apparent.
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Jesus, Paul and others often spoke out against error within Christendom and those who dress up as Christians and perpetrate falsehoods and lies. Any professing Christian (or authentic Christian for that matter), who lives as the above described people, should be avoided at all costs. This is not to say that we should hate those people. It simply means that if we avoid them, there is less danger of living as they live, which is anathema to God.
So HOW does the authentic Christian “put off” the bad and “put on” the good in plain English? Here’s where I start to repeat myself again because the following is the actual starting point of doing both.
As Christians cultivate the fear of (offending) the Lord, our focus will be increasingly changed from ourselves to God. As the fear of (offending) the Lord continues to grow, our awe, respect and love for God grows and our desires for our self and selfishness dims.
We will begin to stop looking at Christianity as a bunch of “dos and don’ts” or “rules to obey,” and start seeing living the Christian life as the growing desire to live for God and His glory. This newfound understanding provides a new freedom from the sin nature (though never perfectly in this life). Put another way, it provides the proper motivation to live the life we are called to live.
The daily ability of actually living the Christian life is presented by writers of the NT in various ways, but all of it points to the same thing – the Christian must understand that the actual motivation to live it from the heart (desires, will), starts from within the Christian. This can only happen when we understand the true underlying foundation that is supposed to exist within each Christian because of salvation that has been received. Without this understanding, we are destined to live failed lives.
That correct foundation is built on one thing and one thing only: the fear of (offending) the Lord. Anything other than this is purely self-effort. For me, this newfound realization appears to still be mainly in my head, not yet in my heart. In other words, I am constantly thinking about the ramifications of the fear of (offending) the Lord, but I’m not yet seeing any consistency in living it from my heart. As my focus is on increasing the fear of (offending) the Lord, the result will be to live a life that pleases God more easily because of that inner foundation. Increase our fear of (offending) the Lord in order to live a life that coincides with His will in all areas. The focus is not on living the life. The focus is on increasing our fear of (offending) the Lord, which results in living to please Him. I’ve been doing it wrong for too many years.
It takes time to develop the habit of “putting off” the “old man” and “putting on” the “new man.” Don’t let these phrases confuse you. I’m convinced this only occurs as we grow in our fear of (offending) the Lord. What better motivation to not sin?! What better motivation to actually live the way God wants me to live? Fear of (offending) the Lord is deeply seated in a profound love for Him and a growing desire to live in a way that pleases Him and brings Him glory.
I’ve spent a good deal of my life trying through self-effort to think, say and do things that God considers right, true and honorable, bringing Him glory. I can see many times in my life where I simply did what I thought I should do based on my own inner strength instead of being empowered by a fear of (offending) the Lord, which would have made things much easier and far more natural.
Joseph so feared offending the Lord if he slept with Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39), that fear kept him from going there. It was the fear of (offending) the Lord that prompted him from within to do what was right.
Do you want to “put on” the new man, the new creation that God has given you when you received salvation? Do you want to walk in the new path that God has defined for you? Do you want to do so through a more naturally internal empowering or do you prefer to use your own self-effort to bring about what only God’s Spirit can produce? If none of this is appealing to you, then may I suggest you may not actually and truly be saved? You need to deal with that.
If you are truly saved, the new man is already in you. The thing that keeps it from rising to the surface and guiding thoughts, words, and deeds, is an absence of a fear of (offending) the Lord.
The goal for the Christian is to live more like Jesus, correct? The only way to do that is to do what He did. What did He do first? He learned to delight in the fear of (offending) the Father (Isaiah 11:3). That was His goal! Successful fruition of that goal resulted in Jesus walking in a way that always pleased the Father. How much more do we need to do that?
I truly believe the fear of (offending) the Lord is the missing piece or key that keeps so many of us Christians from living lives that bring Him glory and wallowing in our own frustration, creating one failure after another. As we focus on growing our fear of (offending) the Lord, the results are seen in the way we more naturally live to please Him.
So how to do this in our lives in a practical way? Here’s one example: next time you are tempted to think, say or do something you know to be against God’s will, start praying that God would allow you to fear (offending) Him so that you do not give into that temptation. We’ll plan on expanding on this in a future article.
Again, if someone knows a better way, please let me know.
“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
Thoughts on today’s verse
Seek — pursue relentlessly — God’s Lordship over your life and the righteousness it demands in your daily life. What you pursue is all temporary; only God and his Kingdom remain. In the process, you will find that the God who gives you his Kingdom and righteousness also will bless you with the things that you need in this life
Prayer:
Holy Lord, only in you do I find what satisfies my soul’s desires. The things that have captured my eye are boring after only a short while. The artificial things I have pursued, all of my addictive pursuits, have left me empty and enslaved. I find hope and help only in you. Please be near to love, correct, discipline, lead, and mold me to your glory. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13
Emily Dickenson wrote, “hope is the thing with feathers”. In her poem, hope perches in the soul, ready to take flight. What a beautiful picture of the attentiveness and expectation of hope!
I love the candle of hope. It’s a reminder that something wonderful is coming.
Jesus is on his way. He’s coming — to us and for us.
Hope, as we know, is a powerful thing. Hope grows into belief and with practice belief matures into faith. We go from an idea to action. We make choices founded on trust that the thing hoped for is really coming.
The best part is that our hope is already here. We’re not waiting in the dark for the Savior to come. He’s here today in this moment.
God with us. Emmanuel. He is the light that banishes every kind of darkness. Whatever hardship you’re carrying, rest in the peace of that hope today.
Father, Thank you for sending your Son to walk among us, to stand in our place and take our punishment, purify us from all sin, and bring us the hope of Heaven. Thank you for making a way for us to have a relationship with You. When the days are dark and the load is heavy, turn our eyes to you so that we can renew our hope, our strength and our joy in your great love for us. Amen.
If there is something specific that is weighing on your mind, bring it to God. If possible, light a candle to remind yourself that God’s perfect love casts out all fear.
“We like to Be Deceived” Romans 16:18; 1 Thessalonians 2:5
If any have some interest in being loved by us, they are averse to render us a service which they know to be disagreeable. They treat us as we wish to be treated. We hate the truth, and they hide it from us. We desire flattery, and they flatter us. We like to be deceived, and they deceive us.
BLAISE PASCAL*
Ritzema, E. (Ed.). (2012). 300 Quotations for Preachers. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Do Not Neglect Yourself, Whatever Others Do Deuteronomy 4:9; 1 Timothy 4:14–16
If you have spent the day profitably, you will always be happy at eventide. Watch over yourself, arouse yourself, warn yourself, and regardless of what becomes of others, do not neglect yourself.
THOMAS À KEMPIS*
Ritzema, E., & Brant, R. (Eds.). (2013). 300 quotations for preachers from the Medieval church. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
“If it be asked, What is the most sacred duty and the greatest source of our security in a Republic? The answer would be, An inviolable respect for the Constitution and Laws – the first growing out of the last. … A sacred respect for the constitutional law is the vital principle, the sustaining energy of a free government.” —Alexander Hamilton (1794)
Lawmakers desperately attempt to promote a blatantly false narrative on voter integrity legislation.
Thomas Gallatin
On Monday, for the second time, Democrat lawmakers from the Texas House of Representatives denied a quorum for a planned vote on the Republicans’ election integrity bill. Democrats fled the state on chartered private jets to Washington, DC, in an orchestrated stunt to fight the passage of what they falsely labeled a “voter suppression bill.”
“Instead of showing up to represent Texans and pass popular election integrity laws, Texas Democrats walked out of the special session, boarded private jets to D.C., and abandoned their constituents,” observed Jessica Anderson, the executive director of Heritage Action.
In response, Republican state representatives voted to apply Texas law and have those absconding Democrat lawmakers arrested upon their return for refusing to show up for work. Of course, Democrats and their Leftmedia cohorts are decrying this vote as an act of tyranny. However, there is no legal support for such hyperbole: The Texas constitution provides arrest as a remedy for legislators who abdicate their duties.
Elaborating on the decision to hold the Democrat lawmakers to account, Republican Governor Greg Abbott explained, “Once they step back into the state, they will be arrested and brought back to the Capitol and we will be conducting business.”
The Democrat lawmakers ridiculously portrayed themselves as “freedom fighters” who are suffering in the fight to uphold democracy, but Republicans and conservative pundits were quick to point out the hypocrisy underlying their protest.
Charlie Kirk rhetorically asked, “I wonder if the Texas Democrat reps. who abandoned their constituents to avoid a vote had to show an ID to board their getaway plane?”
U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) astutely noted: “If these Texas election reforms were made law today, not a single voter would notice. The only people who would notice are the Democrat activists that try to fill out other people’s ballots.”
Fox News’s Tucker Carlson panned the Texas Democrats, stating: “Effectively these freedom fighters, the modern Che Guevaras, these crossers of the Edmund Pettis bridge slash Chipotle, have shut down Texas’ democratically-elected government. That’s how you know they’re defending democracy. That and the private planes.”
Finally, Governor Abbott blasted the Democrats’ blatantly false narrative surrounding the Texas voter integrity bill, pointedly explaining that the legislation actually “makes it easier to vote but harder to cheat.” Precisely.
In an era of shameful and hyperbolic political claims, Joe Biden stands supreme.
Douglas Andrews
Who writes this crap for the American president?
A younger, more cognitively sound Joe Biden would never have uttered such ridiculous falsehoods. Well, okay, maybe he would’ve. But at least he’d have known they were ridiculous falsehoods. At least he’d have known he was disgracing the office of the presidency. But this guy? We’re not so sure.
Against the deeply ironic backdrop of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Biden claimed that the very modest voter reform efforts of certain Republican-controlled state legislatures such as Georgia’s pose “the most dangerous threat to voting and the integrity of free and fair elections in our history.”
Huh? What Republicans are engaged in is precisely the opposite of that.
Sadly, though, Biden was just getting warmed up. “The 21st-century Jim Crow assault is real,” he said. “It’s unrelenting, and we are going to challenge it vigorously.”
Jim Crow? We suppose we should be grateful he didn’t say “Jim Crow 2.0,” or “Jim Crow on steroids,” or the Pulitzer-worthy “Jim Eagle,” all of which he’s already uttered at one time or another.
Democrats, though, appear to be fighting a losing battle. As Power Line’s Paul Mirengoff writes: “All Blacks have to do is prove they are who they say they are — same as Whites and everyone else. More than 80 percent of Americans support this common sense requirement. More than 60 percent of Democrats do. … Moreover, 69 percent of Blacks support voter ID laws.”
As for Jim Crow — what it was, and what it meant — The Daily Signal offers a brief history lesson:
The Jim Crow era following the Civil War saw a series of racist laws imposed in the South at the state and local levels for about 100 years. Some of these Jim Crow laws overtly denied blacks the right to vote and, while they lasted into the mid- to late 1960s, arguably amounted to a much more serious threat to democracy than requiring voters to show a photo ID.
Such laws required poll tests and other obstacles for black voters before they could cast a ballot. The laws also restricted employment, housing, and educational opportunities for black Americans. Schools, parks, recreation facilities, and other public buildings routinely were segregated throughout the South, as were public restrooms and water fountains.
Undeterred by history and fundamental decency, Biden let loose with the worst of it. There is “an unfolding assault taking place in America today, an attempt to suppress and subvert the right to vote,” he warned. “We’re facing the most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War. That’s not hyperbole — since the Civil War. Confederates back then never breached the Capitol as insurrectionists did on Jan. 6. I’m not saying this to alarm you. I’m saying this because you should be alarmed.”
That’s not hyperbole? Has anyone else noticed that Joe Biden keeps using that word whenever he’s trying to sell us a sack of manure? We don’t think “hyperbole” means what he thinks it means. In fact, we’re sure it doesn’t. Heck, his comparison of the Republican Party’s voter reform efforts to the calamity of the Civil War — a conflict that caused the deaths of 600,000 Americans, more than all other American wars combined — is the very definition of hyperbole.
Maybe Biden should’ve taken a trip to Gettysburg before sharing such idiocy with the American people. Or maybe just a trip to bloody Shiloh, to our national military park there on the banks of the Tennessee, about which General Ulysses S. Grant once wrote, “I saw an open field so covered with dead that it would have been possible to walk across the clearing, in any direction, stepping on dead bodies, without a foot touching the ground.”
In terms of casualties, Shiloh was just the sixth-worst battle of the Civil War, behind Chancellorsville, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Chickamauga, and, of course, Gettysburg, whose casualties were more than double those of Shiloh.
But, yeah, Joe, the GOP’s efforts to bring an honest vote to our elections is “the most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War.”
A new study by the Pew Research Center seems to indicate so.
Michael Swartz
We’ve devoted a lot of column space to the 2020 election and its aftermath, but the Pew Research Center recently came out with its own comprehensive look at the 2020 electorate. This Pew report inspired some additional commentary by one Steven Shepard at Politico.
Shepard, however, focused on the bad news by stating: “The Trump gains with Hispanic voters have some Republicans optimistic they can pick up congressional seats in Texas next year, along with holding the two South Florida House seats they flipped in 2020. But the Pew report suggests those gains could be fleeting: While Trump narrowed his loss among Hispanic voters between 2016 and 2020, Democrats won them in 2018 House races by their widest margin, 47 points.”
The Politico piece also focused on what could be considered a backhanded compliment about Trump’s increased share of the Hispanic vote. As the Pew study noted: “Even as Biden held on to a majority of Hispanic voters in 2020, Trump made gains among this group overall. There was a wide educational divide among Hispanic voters: Trump did substantially better with those without a college degree than college-educated Hispanic voters (41% vs. 30%).” Unfortunately, the Pew data did not break down this factoid in 2016, and the 2018 election Pew used is an apples-to-oranges comparison, because Trump wasn’t on the ballot and some congressional races in Hispanic-heavy districts had either a barely noticed Republican alternative or none at all.
More important, taking Hispanic people as a single demographic group ignores significant cultural and economic differences between them. Mexicans, for example, have different priorities than Puerto Ricans, who both have concerns at variance with the Cuban or Central American populations. One example: It’s long been known that the biggest political distinction among Latino voters is that Cubans are much more Republican than other Hispanics — a phenomenon that plays out most prominently in south Florida.
However, there are other trends that Democrats have noticed — the most important of which was the working-class Hispanic deficit, which has manifested itself most in southern Texas, where local elections have recently trended toward the GOP. There’s no guarantee that this local balloting trend will apply nationwide next year, but Republicans have placed themselves in a position to thrive with working-class Hispanics by using the same issues that endeared them to other working-class voters: an aggressive stance on trade and energy independence, and a focus on kitchen table issues, coupled with a more traditional outlook on the social side.
“We’ve all said Latinos aren’t a monolith, but in the [Rio Grande] Valley in particular, there’s three major employers,” said Chuck Rocha, founder of Nuestro PAC, a national group targeting Hispanic voters. Speaking to the Texas Tribune, Rocha added, “There’s border security, there’s the local government and there’s oil and gas, and all of those folks don’t line up with the value set that woke brown consultants or woke white consultants in New York or D.C. are selling as a national narrative to these Democrats.”
Also quoted there was outgoing Democrat Representative Filemon Vena, who represents south Texas’s 34th Congressional District. Vena cut straight to the heart of what concerns working-class Hispanics, noting about his district’s energy industry workers: “These guys are out busting their ass, leaving their homes for two or three weeks at a time, working night and day, but they’re making upwards of $80,000 a year. If they don’t do that, they’re back at home looking for a job that’s paying a third. And if you’re telling somebody, ‘We want you to go make $30,000 instead of $80,000,’ you think they’re gonna vote for you?”
Over the last 50 years, as the Hispanic population grew from just a tiny percentage of Americans to the nation’s largest minority group, the two parties have fought over this voting bloc. While the Democrats have had the upper hand for most of that period, and while Republicans have catered to them in an effort to negate that advantage — Ronald Reagan’s 1986 amnesty for illegal immigrants comes to mind — we may now be seeing a situation where neither party can count on the Hispanic vote. This means that both sides must put in the work to secure their support. And that’s as it should be.
Perhaps Hispanics have noticed the detrimental effects on the black community of having thrown in entirely with the Democrats and their cradle-to-grave welfare statism. And perhaps they’ve decided that same fate isn’t for them. A good choice.
The veep ridiculously asserts that providing a voter ID is nearly impossible for non-urbanites.
Thomas Gallatin
In an effort to defend the Democrats’ indefensible assertion that voter ID laws are racist and pose an existential threat to democracy, Kamala Harris dropped one of the most condescending and ignorant objections yet uttered by a leftist politician.
Responding to a question posed in a recent interview with BET News as to why Democrats should not compromise with Republicans and include voter ID rules in the Left’s otherwise dubious voter reform efforts, Harris opined:
I don’t think that we should underestimate what that [compromise on voter ID laws] could mean. Because in some people’s mind, that means you’re going to have to Xerox or photocopy your ID to send it in to prove who you are. Well, there are a whole lot of people, especially people who live in rural communities, who don’t — there’s no Kinko’s, there’s no OfficeMax near them. Of course people have to prove who they are, [but] not in a way that makes it almost impossible for them to prove who they are.
Yikes! Kinko’s and OfficeMax? Talk about out of touch. When was the last time Harris actually got out amongst the rest of America? Next she’ll be telling these rural rubes there’s such a thing as automobiles that can move them rapidly from place to place. Heck, come to think of it, vehicles would even make it easier for them to get to their nearest polling station on election day with ID in hand to register their vote. Furthermore, this would eliminate the “almost impossible” and troublesome task of having to find a Xerox machine in order to make a photocopy of their ID so as to be able to vote by mail.
All kidding aside, Harris perfectly exposes the hubris of the political establishment, which presumes to know what’s best for Americans even as it has little inkling as to how average Americans live their lives. It’s this hubris that charges women and minorities who vote for conservatives candidates with “voting against their own interests.” This same hubris also insists that what actually motived 74 million Americans, much of them from rural America, to vote for Donald Trump was not concern over jobs, border security, and liberty but rather racism and bigotry.
The Democrats are intent on going to extraordinary lengths to keep you from spreading “misinformation.”
Douglas Andrews
If leftists weren’t afraid of losing the arguments, they wouldn’t feel that irrepressible need to censor us. But they are, so they do.
Big Tech, being the Left’s favorite speech suppressor, is their weapon of choice. They’ve censored regular folks on social media, they’ve censored leading newspapers, and they’ve censored a U.S. president. And now, if you’re engaged in wrongthink about the COVID-19 vaccine, they’re gunning for you.
As Politico reports, “Biden allied groups, including the Democratic National Committee, are also planning to engage fact-checkers more aggressively and work with SMS carriers to dispel misinformation about vaccines that is sent over social media and text messages.”
You read that right: Joe Biden probably doesn’t know it, but he and his fellow Democrats are coming for your private text messages, your one-to-one communications. And if you’ve got some “misinformation” in there — misinformation like, oh, COVID-19 came from a virology lab leak in Wuhan, China, or Hydroxychloroquine may be a safe and effective therapeutic for certain coronavirus patients — well, our always-accurate, always-trustworthy, never-agenda-drive government bureaucrats are going to fix it for you.
Never fear. Anthony “Two Masks Are Better Than One” Fauci is from the government and he’s here to help. “The big misinterpretation that Fox News or whomever else is saying is that they are essentially envisioning a bunch of federal workers knocking on your door, telling you you’ve got to do something that you don’t want to do,” he said in a recent interview. “That’s absolutely not the case. It’s trusted messengers who are part of the community doing that — not government officials.”
Whew. It’s only “trusted messengers.” For a second there, we thought the Biden administration was planning to go “community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood and ofttimes, door to door — literally knocking on doors” to make sure folks got the jab.
We’re glad Tony Fauci cleared that up.
Leftists used to be in favor of free speech before they were against it. Their favorite free speech cliché, in fact, goes back more than a century: I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
It’s remarkable, really, this devolution of a political party that at one time was a champion of free speech and individual liberty. And it gets us to wondering: What’s next? What’s the next usurpation? What’s the next encroachment they’ll make upon our civil rights?
On Monday night, Fox News’s Tucker Carlson had this to say:
Historians will assess it. They will likely record the early days of COVID-19 as a turning point in our society — an unprecedented assault on our most basic civil liberties, that somehow very few people seemed to notice when it first started happening. The usual stooges and think tank libertarians assured us at the time none of it was a big deal. Soulless multinational media monopolies censoring essential medical information? No problem. That’s how the free market works. Build your own Google if you don’t like it. Start your own NIH. And anyway, in private you can still say what you want. You’re still free. It’s not like this is North Korea. So calm down, conspiracy nut.
We don’t feel like conspiracy nuts. We feel like folks who are having something taken away, slowly but steadily.
There was a time in this country when folks were free. When we had a right to be wrong. When we had a right to communicate ideas and information that weren’t necessarily pre-approved by our government.
National Republican Congressional Committee boasts record haul in second quarter, outpaces DCCC (Washington Examiner)
National Security
Communist Cuba cracking down on demonstrations; dissidents say police “arresting, beating, and killing” protesters (Daily Wire) | Double standards: Biden’s open-borders DHS chief tells Cubans hoping to make sea voyage, “You will not enter the United States” (Daily Wire) | Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart introduces resolution to support Cuban protests. Only Republicans sign on. (Daily Wire)
Non compos mentis: Biden admin waives sanctions on Iranian oil trade … as DOJ announces charges against Iranian intel agents who sought to kidnap American journalist (Free Beacon)
Russian ransomware group REvil’s websites down following Kaseya attack (ZDNet)
Navy surface fleet unprepared to win future conflict, watchdog finds (Free Beacon)
Around the Nation
Inflation spikes in June to fastest pace in 13 years (U.S. News & World Report) | Small business inflation metrics hit highest since 1981 (Breitbart)
New York Democrat wokesters urge ban of Chick-fil-A from state rest stops (Washington Examiner)
Around the World
Deadly rioting and looting in South Africa after ex-president Jacob Zuma jailed (CBS News)
China begins military flights from disputed South China Sea bases (Washington Times)
Is Kim Jong-un’s regime on the cusp of collapse? (Daily Signal)
Other Notables
Almost two-thirds of Americans believe China should pay pandemic reparations (CSP)
Closing Arguments
Policy: The Federal Reserve is playing with inflation fire (1945)
Policy: Biden sets regulation and antitrust back 100 years (AEI)
Humor: Other states look to Texas for advice on how to get Democrats to leave (Babylon Bee)
For more of today’s editors’ choice headlines, visit Headline Report.
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Democrats: Everything Is Racist — Democrats currently don’t have the majority in Texas, so obviously no one else is allowed to do legislation there unless the Democrats get their way.
What Are Teachers Doing to Our Kids? — Randi Weingarten and the teachers union say they aren’t teaching CRT. But they also say they won’t stop teaching CRT.
Insight: “The spirit of truth and the spirit of freedom — they are the pillars of society.” —Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)
Upright: “The American flag is carried by freedom-loving people around the world who take to their streets in protest of real government oppression. It’s a symbol of hope and liberty in countries that have neither. Remember that the next time the left says our flag is a symbol of hate.” —Congressman Dan Crenshaw
Re: The Left I: “[Democrats are] trying to label Republicans as people who want to suppress the vote. But a number of the things that the Republicans want to do in the laws they are passing across the country are things that are popular — and voter ID is very high on that list. I think it’s politically really stupid to come out and criticize voter ID.” —journalist Brit Hume
Re: The Left II: “[Vladimir] Lenin said give me your children to teach for four years and the seeds I plant will never be uprooted. What [leftists] are trying to do is actually indoctrinate the kids. … I think we saw the fruits of it last summer in Portland and Seattle. These are people who are coming to age who have been taught to hate the United States of America.” —Ben Carson
For the record: “The most significant deterrent to more drilling on these shores is the Biden de facto moratorium on domestic drilling on federal lands. How foolish is this? Up to an estimated $50 trillion of energy resources are right below our feet. This is like a buried treasure that could supply energy for 100-plus years. In addition, the royalties and taxes would help pay off some of our $30 trillion national debt.” —Stephen Moore
Observations: “To this day, semper fidelis is more than a slogan. For us, it is a way of life. We were taught that it meant to always be faithful to God, country, Corps and each other. Fast forward to the present. Our troops are now being asked to be faithful to a leftist belief system that denies God, tears down our country, undermines military preparedness and makes service members distrustful of each other. Biden and his leftist puppet masters are doing what no foreign enemy has been able to do: destroy our military. Sadly, they are being assisted by weak generals and admirals playing politics.” —Oliver North & David Goetsch
Friendly fire: “Defund the police is a non-starter even with black people. And if you don’t think that’s true, then look at the results of what just happened in New York City’s election. So the proof is in the pudding. I know what I’m talking about. I talk to people every day, and defund the police is a chokehold around the Democratic Party. … In 1960, ‘burn baby burn’ destroyed our movement. And ‘defund the police’ will do the same thing to progressive movements today. This kind of sloganeering does us no good.” —House Majority Whip James Clyburn
The BIG Lie: “The attacks on critical race theory are based on made-up definitions and descriptors.” —Ibram X. Kendi in his column, “There Is No Debate Over Critical Race Theory” (“Let me remind you that Kendi has suggested there should be an unelected government agency called the ‘Department of Antiracism’ that would enforce CRT’s ideology on the local, state, and federal level.” —Joel Abbott)
Non compos mentis: “Unvaccinated children of the certain age greater than two years old should be wearing masks. No doubt about that.” —Dr. Anthony Fauci
And last… “What do you call a plane full of Democrats leaving Texas? A good start.” —Kyle Mann
It’s Happening: France Vaccine Pass Required In Public Spaces From August 1st Despite the Lies. Despite the warnings. Despite the disastrous side effects. Despite the questions. This is it: dictatorship. President Macron introduced new coronavirus measures on Monday night. Vaccine passports will also be required from August 1 for anyone wanting to go out to eat or drink at a bar, café or restaurant, or travel on planes.
Portions Of Mississippi River Nearing Record Low, May Jeopardize Barge Traffic In another sign, the megadrought is wreaking havoc across the Western half of the US. There are multiple portions of the Mississippi River that are nearing record low water levels that may inhibit commercial or private vessels from traversing the critical waterway. The stretch of the Mississippi River at St. Paul, Minnesota, is around 3.2 feet Wednesday. That’s about six inches from the record low of 2.6 feet set in 1976.
China Mega Investment Deal With Iran Blows US Out Of The Picture China has just announced that it will invest 400 bn dollars in Iran over a period of 25 years in exchange for a great deal on Iran’s oil – in the latest move of absolute defiance against the U.S. and its secondary sanctions. Where’s this all heading?
Hunter Biden’s Art Sales: Ethical Mess Made Worse by White House Allow me to join the chorus of voices congratulating Hunter Biden for waking up one day recently as an accomplished and commercially successful artist, a sudden event that curiously corresponded with his father’s becoming president of the United States. This is surely a coincidence, and certainly only represents the latest shift in Hunter’s colorful career path. In his latest endeavor, he has moved from trading on his father’s name to siphon a fortune from shady foreign businessmen to trading on his father’s name to siphon a fortune from shady “art collectors” from places unknown.
US charges four with plot to kidnap New York journalist critical of Iran US prosecutors have charged four Iranians, alleged to be intelligence operatives for Tehran, with plotting to kidnap a New York journalist who was critical of Iran, according to a Justice Department indictment unsealed on Tuesday. While the indictment did not name the target of the plot, Reuters has confirmed she is Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad, who has contributed to the Voice of America Persian language service and reports on human rights issues in Iran.
Report: Iranian commander urged escalation against US forces A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander urged Iraqi Shiite militias to step up attacks on US targets during a meeting in Baghdad last week, three militia sources and two Iraqi security sources familiar with the gathering said.
Why is PA’s Abbas helping Israel, Turkey patch things up? As it turns out, the person who arranged the phone call between President Isaac Herzog and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan was none other than Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas. While it is not clear what motivated him, it was most likely an attempt to keep Erdogan from working with Hamas. …
Is Nasrallah Losing Control of His People? Israel’s thwarting on Saturday of an attempt to smuggle weapons into the country from Lebanon crystallized the duality on the northern border: On one hand, the quiet and deterrence along both sides of the border; on the other, non-stop activity that could ignite the entire front at a moment’s notice.
2,000-year-old coins found in Binyamin depict Bar Kochba Revolt An archaeological survey in the northeast of the Binyamin Region conducted by the Martin Szuz Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University has turned up two rare 2,000-year-old coins at two adjacent sites. One coin, discovered at Khirbet Jabaat, dates back to the Jewish revolt against the Romans and was minted in the year 67 C.E. One side of the coin bears a depiction of a grape leaf and the Hebrew inscription Herut Zion (Freedom for Zion), while the other side is imprinted with a cup and the inscription “Year Two.”
Vines growing on retaining Wall of Temple Mount spell out God’s name (Yehovah) Sometimes, prophetic visions can appear in plain sight and still go largely unnoticed. Such was the case when a post appeared on Tik Tok showing the eastern retaining wall of the Temple Mount, an area bordered by a major thoroughfare.
In first, US court rules Syria, Iran, IRGC, banks liable for Hamas attack In a landmark ruling, a US federal court ruled on Monday that Syria, Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and three Iranian banks were liable for the Hamas terror attack which killed Eitam and Naama Henkin in 2015. The District of Columbia court ruled on two suits: one filed by the parents and siblings of Eitam and one filed by the Henkins’ children and the Henkins’ estates.
Archaeologists find part of Jerusalem’s wall destroyed on Ninth of Av A section of Jerusalem’s city wall built during the First Temple period that was mostly destroyed by the Babylonian army in 586 BCE has been uncovered by archaeologists in the City of David National Park, the Israel Antiquities Authority said on Wednesday. “By the ninth day [of the fourth month] the famine had become acute in the city; there was no food left for the common people.
UAE embassy opens in Tel Aviv, marking ‘new paradigm for peace’ The United Arab Emirates opened its embassy to Israel in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) building on Wednesday, marking a new phase in the growing relations between the countries. “This embassy is not just a hub for diplomats, but a base to continue in our new partnership,” UAE Ambassador Mohamed Al Khaja said.
PA PM: We must build confidence before Israeli-Palestinian peace talks Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh on Tuesday told US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr that the launch of a peace process with Israel should be preceded by confidence-building measures. Shtayyeh, who met with the US envoy in Ramallah, said that the Palestinians want Israel to abide by signed agreements between the two sides.
67 large wildfires burning across the United States More than 14 000 firefighters and support personnel are battling 67 large wildfires raging across the United States. An undermined number of homes have been lost and thousands more are threatened. 67 large fires have so far burned more than 371 000 ha (917 000 acres) of land in the United States, The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reports.
Extreme flooding hits multiple provinces of China, capital Beijing brought to standstill Prolonged heavy rainfall affecting parts of China over the past couple of days caused extreme flooding in several provinces, including Sichuan, Hebei, Shaanxi, Henan, and Shandong. Severe thunderstorms also affected the capital Beijing, bringing the entire city to a standstill. On July 12, authorities have issued an orange alert, the 2nd highest in the country’s 4-tier weather warning system.
New York Democrats urge ban of Chick-fil-A from state rest stops At least three New York Democrats signed a letter voicing opposition over plans to open Chick-fil-A restaurants at rest stops throughout the state, claiming the quick-service chain has donated to discriminatory and anti-LGBT groups….calling on the New York Thruway Authority’s Executive Director Matthew Driscoll to “reexamine” a list of approved concessions for a $450 million project to update…the Thruway.
Dems Advance Taxpayer-Funded Abortion Through Committee House Democrats are one step closer to achieving President Joe Biden’s goal of establishing taxpayer-funded abortions nationwide. A funding bill proposal released Sunday from the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies subcommittee would repeal the Hyde Amendment—a decades-long policy that prevents federal tax dollars from funding abortion.
Inflation Continues Rapid Surge in June – Rises at Fastest Pace in 13 Years The consumer price index increased 5.4% from a year ago, the largest jump since August 2008, just before the worst of the financial crisis. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been expecting a 5% gain. Stripping out volatile food and energy prices, the core CPI rose 4.5%, the sharpest move for that measure since September 1991 and well above the estimate of 3.8%.
South Africa Zuma riots: Looting and unrest leaves 72 dead The death toll in South Africa has risen to 72 as violence continues across the country following the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma. Crowds looting and setting alight shopping centres clashed with police in several cities on Tuesday. The BBC filmed a baby being thrown from a building in Durban that was on fire after ground-floor shops were looted.
Afghanistan: Taliban flag raised above border crossing with Pakistan The Taliban are reported to have raised their flag above a key border post between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and claim it is now under their control. Videos being shared on social media show the white flag fluttering above the Spin Boldak crossing near Kandahar. Afghan officials have denied the post has fallen, although pictures on social media show the militants chatting to Pakistani border guards.
Lithuania votes to curb influx of migrants from Belarus Lithuania has voted in favour of strict new migration laws amid an influx of arrivals from Belarus. Politicians backed the controversial legislation on Tuesday, allowing the mass detention of migrants and limiting their right to appeal. It comes as hundreds of migrants have illegally crossed into Lithuania from Belarus in recent weeks.
1.8 million Americans have turned down jobs due to unemployment benefitsPosted: 14 Jul 2021 07:27 AM PDTAbout 1.8 million out-of-work Americans have turned down jobs because of the generosity of unemployment insurance benefits, according to Morning Consult poll results released Wednesday.Why it matters: U.S. businesses have been wrestling with labor supply shortages as folks capable of working have opted not to work for a variety of reasons.One of the more politically controversial reasons has been the availability of unemployment insurance benefits, in particular emergency provisions that were introduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic.Continue reading 1.8 million Americans have turned down jobs due to unemployment benefits at End Time Headlines.
Now they are giving away free weed for Long Beach residents who get COVID vaccinePosted: 14 Jul 2021 07:02 AM PDTIn an effort to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations, Long Beach residents who get the jab at a pop-up clinic next week will get a free marijuana joint. One pre-roll is available to each resident aged 21 and older who gets vaccinated at Houghton Park on July 24, according to Long Beach Forward, a local group that supports community-based organizations.Vaccinated residents will get a token that they can then redeem for a joint in an effort dubbed “Joints for Jabs LBC.” The campaign is a result of a partnership with the Long Beach Collective Association, which represents cannabis dispensaries in Long Beach, as initially reported by the Long Beach Post.Continue reading Now they are giving away free weed for Long Beach residents who get COVID vaccine at End Time Headlines.
The Top 20 “Pre-Tribulation” PropheciesPosted: 13 Jul 2021 11:31 AM PDT(OPINION) – This article is intended to acquaint you with the top twenty Pre-Tribulation prophecies. These are ancient predictions that are about to roll off of their parchments soon and pound down on the world’s pavement.These are globally impacting events that could happen before the Seven-Year Tribulation Period begins. Thus, it’s possible that the Christian Church might actually witness the fulfillment of some of these perilous biblical predictions before it gets Raptured.Continue reading The Top 20 “Pre-Tribulation” Prophecies at End Time Headlines.
In this episode, Dinesh shows that, contrary to the Democrats’ complaints that Republicans are engaged in “voter suppression” and are “against democracy,” it is the Democrats who are attempting to subvert the Constitution and the will of the people.
The White House has warned that those questioning the shots are “dangerous” and “extremist,” motivated by (conservative) politics. But who is actually the most resistant? CDC numbers might surprise you. Finally, the Capitol Hill Police are launching military surveillance drones in Washington, DC…what could go wrong?
Remember the great 1964 film “Dr. Strangelove”? Do you remember the subtitle of the film? It was “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.” Well, I have a 2021 updated subtitle when it comes to the surveillance state: “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Intel Community.” Spooks today are not feared, they are adored.
On Newswatch AM July 14th: Democrats, Republican spar over voting rights/election reform at the state and federal levels, as Biden speaks out against GOP election measures in states; Senate Democrats announce $3.5 trillion budget plan; …
ATLANTA, GA—During a news report Wednesday, CNN anchors blamed the Cuban protests on “climate change,” saying the mass demonstrations against the communist government were likely due to global warming.
The cable news station told its dozens of viewers that global warming drove thousands of Cubans out of their homes, with the heat making them deliriously chant things like “Libertad!” and demand change from their socialist rulers. According to the station’s pundits, there’s “no way” protesters could be opposed to the love and compassion of a socialist government, leading them to conclude that the culprit here must be a rapidly warming globe caused by humans.
“It’s very tragic how climate change caused this terrible protest,” said CNN news reporter Ronald Mahogany, wincing at footage of Cubans holding the American flag and marching against their government. “We must demand action on climate from our government immediately if we want to stop further protests from taking place all over the globe. We’re just lucky this hasn’t happened in North Korea yet.”
“This all could have been prevented if we had just listened to Greta.”
At publishing time, CNN reporters had suggested an alternate theory, claiming that if it isn’t climate change, it must be Trump’s fault somehow.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—In a forceful statement to his sock drawer this week, President Biden condemned Republican lawmakers’ efforts to disenfranchise black voters by making them show ID to vote—since black people don’t understand what IDs are or how to get them.
“Voter ID is the greatest threat to Democracy since the Civil Depression of 1812!” he yelled to a lone mothball. “We need to save democracy by taking complete Federal control of the elections in every state!”
Sources say that in addition to controlling elections at the federal level, Biden has other plans for protecting democracy—such as confiscating guns, checking private citizens door to door for vaccination status, and dissolving the Galactic Senate to reorganize the Republic into the first Galactic Empire.
“My resolve has never been stronger,” said Biden. “I vow to protect Democracy from the worst attack since the conquest of Jericho. And I know because I was there. That’s because I’m so old,” he said to a mismatched tube sock. He then fell to the floor and immediately disintegrated into a little pile of dust.
Democrats have promised to give back all the power they’ve seized once they finish saving Democracy in a month to 50 years or so.
The American League defeated the National League in last night’s MLB All-Star Game, the eighth straight win for the AL. Pope Francis was seen leaving the hospital this morning, ten days after undergoing colon surgery. And Democrats unveiled late Tuesday night a $3.5 trillion spending plan for policies that would not be included in a possible bipartisan infrastructure deal.
Normally, I’d write on each or all of these stories. I don’t often discuss Texas politics, since this article is intended for readers around the world. But it’s not often that Texas politics make news around the world.
The New York Timesheadlines, “Texas Democrats Flee State to Highlight GOP Voting Restrictions.” Every other American news outlet I checked is reporting on the story as well. Even the BBC and the UK’s Guardianare responding to the controversy.
At issue is legislation that affects the way Texans will be able to vote in upcoming elections. To keep Republicans from passing this legislation, Democratic lawmakers left Texas for Washington, DC, denying Republicans the necessary quorum.
These Democrats say they are “advocating for the rights of Texans for their right to vote.” Republicans counter that the legislation is simply designed to prevent voter fraud and note that the Democrats’ walkout puts at risk other legislation such as pension checks for retired teachers and the paychecks of legislative staff.
“Ideological intensity and fragmentation have risen”
Here’s my guess: you probably side with the side you already sided with before the controversy began. If you sympathize with Democrats, you likely see them as fighting for their constituents. If you sympathize with Republicans, you likely see them as abandoning their jobs and thus their constituents.
Here’s another guess: like most Americans, you probably feel stronger about your partisan views than you did even a few years ago. Here’s one reason political passions in America have become much more intense: our religious passions have become much less so. Consequently, the former are replacing the latter.
The Atlantic recently reported: “As Christianity’s hold, in particular, has weakened, ideological intensity and fragmentation have risen. American faith, it turns out, is as fervent as ever: it’s just that what was once religious belief has now been channeled into political belief” (their italics).
Historian Niall Ferguson agrees: “We are dealing not just with the decay of traditional religion, but far worse, the rise of new fake religions, political religions.” (I disagree that the “rise of new fake religions” is “far worse” than the “decay of traditional religion,” but I understand his point.)
He continues: “One thing that’s very clear from the twentieth century is that when people take their religious feelings and they apply them to political ideologies, terrible things can happen.” He references as examples the Nazis who thought of Hitler as the redeemer of the German nation and those today who treat scientists as if they are infallible.
Another French Revolution?
On this day in 1789, French revolutionaries stormed the Bastille. The ensuing French Revolution tried to excise all vestiges of religion from French society. In October 1793, all public worship was forbidden, church bells were pulled down and melted, and crosses and relics were seized and sometimes destroyed. In their place rose the Cult of Reason which recognized no god but worshipped the goddess of reason in former churches now known as “temples of reason.”
Are we witnessing a similar movement today?
In an important article I hope you’ll read, cultural commentator Andrew Sullivan warns of the rise of what Wesley Yang calls “the successor ideology.” Sullivan notes that this ideology argues, for example, that “the only and exclusive reason for racial inequality is ‘white supremacy.’ Culture, economics, poverty, criminality, family structure: all are irrelevant, unless seen as mere emanations of white control” (his italics).
But Critical Race Theory is just one dimension of this movement. In a larger sense, “this ideology wishes, first and foremost, to repeal and succeed a liberal society and democracy” (his italics). Sullivan continues: “In the successor ideology, there is no escape, no refuge, from the ongoing nightmare of oppression and violence—and you are either fighting this and ‘on the right side of history,’ or you are against it and abetting evil. There is no neutrality. No space for skepticism. No room for debate.”
This is a “successor” ideology in that it intends to succeed what came before, including religious worldviews in general and Christianity in particular. Its advocates view biblical morality as oppressive, discriminatory, and dangerous. In their view, beliefs and institutions that do not align with their ideology must be replaced and removed. The so-called Equality Act is just one example and symptom of this rising tide of secularism.
Its advocates, ironically, embrace its tenets with a zeal akin to religious fervor. As Ferguson warned, we are witnessing the rise of a secular religion.
“Cisterns that can hold no water”
In Jeremiah 2, the Lord grieves, “My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (v. 13).
What happens to those who reject the one true God for false gods of their own making?
The Lord asks, “What do you gain by going to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? Or what do you gain by going to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates?” (v. 18). Then he answers his question: “Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God” (v. 19).
We’ll continue this discussion tomorrow. For today, all of us who are children of God should join our Father in grieving the secular idolatry that is consuming our culture. We should pray fervently for a movement of Christians who will use their influence to stand publicly, courageously, and winsomely for biblical truth and morality. And we should ask God’s Spirit to spark a great spiritual and moral awakening in America before it is too late.
Leonard Ravenhill observed, “As long as we are content to live without revival, we will.”
(Selwyn Duke – The New American) Fascism founding father Benito Mussolini once summarized his ideology thus: “All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.” This comes to mind when considering that the Democrat establishment has been doing an end run around the First Amendment, using Big Tech as a proxy to stifle dissenting views. Now there’s a new front in this battle, too:
The Biden administration is calling on SMS (Short Message Service) carriers to monitor and “fact check” text messages for vaccine “misinformation.”
Because, of course, communications company techies are perfectly situated to be infallible Ministers of Truth on all things COVID. View article →
(Judi McLeod – Canada Free Press) How to survive in a world gone mad? It starts with refusing to be duped by governments, their bureaucracies and the media. A virus, hyped as a pandemic—with a 99 percent recovery rate—isn’t going to kill off the world—no matter what ‘scientists’ a la Dr. Anthony Fauci predict.
Fauci, his pal Bill Gates and their ilk need to spray lots of Windex on their smoggy crystal balls.
The world that has long been home to the masses was not created as their play toy, or there for their sundry get-rich-quick schemes.
Their never-ending warnings notwithstanding, Global Warming/Climate Change is not going to wipe out the masses either. View article →
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