#1725 (9/30) "I'm With You"

"I'M WITH YOU" - Jackie Gingrich Cushman | Sep. 29, 2016;

http://townhall.com/columnists/jackiegingrichcushman/2016/09/29/im-with-you-n2224952

  
After decades of political experience, and running against President Barack Obama in 2008, Hillary Clinton's performance Monday night was as good as it gets. The first presidential debate between democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and republican nominee Donald Trump, which was held at Hofstra University, broke the viewing record on Monday evening, with over 84 million people watching the live action. This is three times the number of viewers for the season finale of the Apprentice in 2004.

Lester Holt, anchor of "NBC Nightly News," served as moderator and semi fact checker. The resulting scrutiny of his performance will lead future moderators to check and double check their questions and performances. The 90-minute no commercial format, with only one adversary on stage, was much different than the debate experience Trump had during the republican primary, where there were up to 10 contestants on stage.

Trump easily cleared the first hurdle of the first debate -- he stayed on stage, was articulate and passed the "can I imagine him as president?" test. He stood side by side with someone who has prepared for decades, and came across as a reasonable alternative.

Clinton, prepared, poised and polished, might have marginally won the debate from the perspectives of the pundits and the political class; but Trump laid the groundwork for a chasm of difference between the two. The Chasm: a politician who is polished and poised, but represents the status quo, and a business person who represents real change.

By referring to her as "Secretary Clinton" Trump reminds us that Clinton is part of the current administration, and that her tenure as Secretary of State included controversies regarding her use of a private email server as well as her leadership and communications regarding Benghazi.

Trump's statements of fact are powerful. "She's been doing this for 30 years... [Clinton's a] Typical politician. All talk, no action. Sounds good, doesn't work. Never going to happen. Our country is suffering because people like Secretary Clinton have made such bad decisions in terms of our jobs and in terms of what's going on."

The difference is vast and real, and if people are happy today with how the government works, they should vote for Secretary Clinton. Alternatively, as he articulated at the debate, Trump has "a company that's worth many, many billions of dollars, with some of the greatest assets in the world, and I say that only because that's the kind of thinking that our country needs."

His statement to the American people that "I'm with you" is the perfect contrast to Clinton's theme of "I'm with her." Clinton reinforces this split during the debate. "Donald just criticized me for preparing for this debate. And, yes, I did. And you know what else I prepared for? I prepared to be president. And I think that's a good thing," she said. While it drew applause from her supporters in the hall, but also reinforces the fact that Clinton has been doing this for decades and does not represent the real change that many Americans are seeking.

For the next debate Trump has two opportunities. The first is to answer potential controversial questions prior to the next debate. For instance, the questions about his tax returns. The second opportunity is to ask questions unasked by the moderator of Clinton during the debate regarding her private email server, the Clinton Foundation and her handling of Benghazi.

Regarding his taxes, a possible response it to simply say to voters, just like you, I follow the tax laws of our nation and pay taxes as they state. I know how crazy our current tax system is -- it must be simplified and restructured. Every dollar the government spends comes from taxpayers, either collected from you today -- or in some point in the future due to government borrowing. I want to make sure that the government spends every on of your dollars is spend wisely and not wastefully.

In business, we have contracts, and if the vendor delivers a substandard product or does not deliver on time, then there is often a discount or penalty. There are often incentives to finish a project early. This system allows us to deliver large projects under budget and before deadlines. This same thought process needs to be applied to the federal government, which currently spends millions and millions of your hard earned dollars without any results.

You deserve better, you deserve government that makes sure every dollar it collects, is spent wisely.

[bold and itlaics emphasis mine]

"Unorthodox Thoughts About the Unorthodox Debate" - David Limbaugh: Sep 30, 2016; http://townhall.com/columnists/davidlimbaugh/2016/09/30/unorthodox-thoughts-about-the-unorthodox-debate-n2225358

#1724 (9/29) "Mainstream Media Covers Kids who Pillage & Plunder; But not Kids who Pray" -

"MAINSTREAM MEDIA COVERS KIDS WHO PILLAGE  & PLUNDER; BUT NOT KIDS WHO PRAY" - By Todd Starnes, ToddStarnes.com; http://www.toddstarnes.com/column/kids-pray-the-best-story-you-wont-see-the-mainstream-media-cover#articles

When you dropped your kids off at school today - you probably saw a bunch of students gathered around the flag pole. Those kids were part of See You at the Pole - a national prayer gathering.

Some two million young people woke up before sunrise to pray with their classmates. Many of you posted photos on my Facebook page of students praying in your hometowns - from Staten Island, New York to Stinking Creek, Kentucky.

There were first graders and freshmen holding hands on this cool Autumn day to pray for our nation -- to cry out - as the Psalmist said so many centuries ago.

This year's theme is "We Cry Out - A Generation Seeking Him!"

"Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face."

See You at the Pole is a yearly tradition that started in 1990 in Burleson, Texas. What began as a small group of teenagers turned into a global movement. And today -- some two million students in all 50 states will petition the Almighty.

Lord knows we need it, folks. 

As inspirational as this story may be, it's unlikely you will see these young people on the evening news. It seems that kids who pillage and plunder generate more ratings than kids who pray.

But truth be told - the only prayer our nation has may be as a result of those kids. 


[bold and italics emphasis mine]

"'See You at the Pole' 2016: Sadie Robertson Joins Millions of Teens Praying at Schools, Crying Out to God" - By Stoyan Zaimov, September 28, 2016|http://www.christianpost.com/news/see-you-at-the-pole-2016-sadie-robertson-joins-millions-teenagers-praying-schools-crying-out-to-god-170170/
     While national statistics show a rising growth of unbelief among young people, millions of teenagers from across America and the world are gathering before school hours on Wednesday to cry out to God together in prayer for the annual "See You at the Pole" event.
     The prayer initiative began as a grassroots movement in 1990 with 10 students praying at their school, but it has since grown into an international phenomenon, giving young people the opportunity to express their Christian faith and cry out to God, which is this year's theme...
Much like this year's event, past SYATP gatherings have encouraged the spiritual awakening of young people in America and around the world, calling on students to meet at school flagpoles to lift up their friends, families, teachers, school, and nation to God.
     "Our nation, with all the division that we have right now, really needs a moral and spiritual awakening. Part of See You at the Pole is a call to the Body of Christ, including parents to be involved in an extraordinary commitment to pray," SYATP organizer Doug Clark told CP back in 2012.
     Clark said that it is also an opportunity for young people to enter into a whole year of ministry."It's a launching pad for them to begin by praying together, which is the most important first thing to do. But then to consider what God might be saying to them about how they would reach their friends," he said.
     The SYATP website stresses that it is a student-led event, and says that strong student leadership is crucial for the success of the gatherings. It tells young people that while parents or youth pastors can support them through prayer and encouragement, it is students who need to take charge.
     The website notes that while students are free to gather for prayer before school, they also need to inform their school administration about the planned event.
     "God is continuing to call His people to repentance and prayer. Countless inspiring testimonies of how He has used See You at the Pole to bring students to Christ and to change lives affirm God's power to answer those who cry out to Him in humble dependence," the organizers say.
     "Bible clubs, weekly prayer meetings, and other ministries have begun on campuses where students participated in See You at the Pole."

"Students say they weren't allowed to attend 'See You at the Pole'"- http://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/208421230-storyett.

#1723 (9/28) "The Dictatorship of Relativism - AB"SURDITY REIGNS--FOR NOW"

ATTENTION: Please SCROLL DOWN this page to find the article titled on this post in LARGE BRIGHT BLUE CAPITAL LETTERS. Thank you.)

[NOTE: This Friday marks only 40 days until Election Day. Please consider praying DAILY beginning Friday - if you are not already -  that Americans will vote with wisdom and discernment.]

URGENT: A Christian Mother's Mandatory Death Penalty Could Be Overturned. PRAY and Sign the Petition Now! - https://aclj.org/persecuted-church/save-christian-mom-asia-bibi-from-execution? - Asia Bibi was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to execution by hanging.She has been languishing on death row nearly 6 years - separated from her husband and five kids all because of her Christian faith. Now, after more than 2,100 excruciating days, Pakistan's Supreme Court has just granted her an early review of her final appeal.This is a monumental moment in her case. In just weeks, the court could release her or have her hanged. She would be the first woman executed under Pakistan's brutal blasphemy law.The American Center for Law and Justice has been aggressively advocating for her freedom for years - including through our office on the ground in Pakistan. But now is the time for urgent action. The ACLJ is stepping up their vigorous legal advocacy campaign across the globe for her freedom. It is imperative that each of us be heard. Don't let them execute Christian mom Asia Bibi!; SIGN the petition and PRAY for this court decision!

MILITARY TRANSGENDER POLICY: Contact Armed Services Chairmen McCain (committee number: 202-224-3871; office number: 202-224-2235) and  Rep. Thornberry (committee number: 202-225-4151; office number: 202-225-3706) and ask them to put the  brakes on the National Defense Authorization Act conference report until military transgenderism is addressed. America's safety depends on it."

"PROTECT LOCAL SCHOOLS from Federal Overreach into Kids' Restrooms"/ Contact your local school:  - http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=AL16H05&f=AL16H05##FORM

SIGN THE PETITION: Encourage Congress to STOP THE HARVESTING OF ABORTED BABIES (see story in post ##1581) - http://aclj.org/pro-life/stop-planned-parenthood-from-harvesting-and-selling-babies-organs?
Coming In October: "Voiceless." Talk to your pastor about this movie that challenges those who consider themselves pro-life Christians to be more involved more in the effort to rescue the unborn. Go to http://joinvoiceless.com and share it with others. 

YOUR Vote Is Important This Coming November. Check out the following site with answers to your questions of …Why should I vote? How to register to vote? What [more] can I do?http://www.commit2vote2016.com/

BE Prepared TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST ABORTION (...because ALL Babies Matter!): Go to: LIFE Training Institute - http://prolifetraining.com/resources/five-minute-11/  
Be Prepared TO ENGAGE WITH THE PC CULTURE: Go to:"Tactics" -
http://townhall.com/columnists/mikeadams/2016/04/29/tactics-n2154983;"Asking Questions"- 
http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/29295

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PRAYER MATTERS:"To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world." - Karl Barth; "Prayer is inviting God into a seemingly impossible situation and trusting/resting in His love and grace to accomplish His perfect will." - Stan 

PRAY FOR AMERICA: THANK GOD for His many blessings on America throughout it's history. May we then ask that AMERICA once again be a blessing TO GOD, by once again submitting to HIS will in our affairs - both personal and national - that He may truly "heal our land." (2 Chron. 7:14) Short of that, we should not be saying "God Bless America"but instead "God be merciful towards America!" Rev. Franklin Graham: "I do know that the president defends Islam and chastises Christians, rebukes our allies and befriends our enemies, and fully supports gay marriages and abortion but denies the religious freedoms of those who don't agree. Our nation is ridiculed abroad and morally crumbling within. We are in trouble. We have turned our back on God."

PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS:  Let's be praying that they might be Spirit-filled, leading us with Godly wisdom and integrity; that they will  only pass legislation and enact policies that will benefit Americans today as well as future generations and NOT do any lasting harm.
Pray DAILY, esp. beginning Sept. 30, which is the start of 40 days until our NATIONAL ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER. Pray that Americans will elect leaders at the state (Governors, state legislators) and national (Congress and President) levels who have Spirit-filled wisdom, integrity, and a Biblical world-view, who will know and do what is best for us today as well as for future generations.

9/14 - MY PERSONAL UPDATE: Please scroll down to  JOURNAL entry on right side of this blog page for my LATEST news. Job Search Update: THANKS for your continued prayers (and any job leads you might have) as I continue to fill out applications. PRAISE: While I didn’t get the position I interviewed for last week, my name was passed on to other managers and I am hopeful to be called in for another interview within the next few weeks.

World-Wide Prayer Requests:

Learn about Christian Persecution; Check out the World Watch List:
http://live.opendoorsusa.org/wwl/?utm_source=action&utm_medium=email&utm_content=content-banner&utm_campaign=may-2016

PRAY for the ON-GOING crisis now happening in IRAQ/SYRIA.  Pray that coalition forces will be able to destroy the leadership and infrastructure of ISIS.

"Why It's Becoming More Difficult to Be a Christian in INDIA" - 03-03-2016;
http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2016/March/Why-Its-Becoming-More-Difficult-to-Be-a-Christian-in-India

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"The Dictatorship of Relativism - AB"SURDITY REIGNS--FOR NOW" - By: Eric Metaxas| Breakpoint.org: September 21, 2016; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/29871

No--you haven’t lost your mind. Things really are crazy out there. And you can thank something called the dictatorship of relativism.

Does it kind of feel like folks have lost their minds?  That we’ve taken a collective walk through the looking glass and nothing is logical, nothing really makes sense? That you can look people square in the eye, assert a scientific, biological fact such as “if you have an x and a y chromosome and you have male sexual organs, then you are not a woman,” only to have them accuse you of being a hater or on the wrong side of history?

Or take abortion. Even some of the staunchest abortion supporters admit a fetus is a baby is a human being. But that doesn’t matter, because a woman has a right to do what she wants “with her own body.”

It’s sort of kooky. How have we reached this level of absurdity?

Well, as I explain in a recent article at Intercollegiate Review, welcome to “the dictatorship of relativism,” which, as Pope Benedict said, “does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one’s own ego and one’s own desires.”

As I explain in the article, I first encountered this kind of pervasive relativism as an undergraduate at Yale. I came from a working-class background, I actually believed in the truth, that it was beautiful, and worth living for and even dying for. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at Yale (whose motto is “Lux et Veritas”—Latin for “light and truth”), to find out that much of the faculty and student body didn’t believe in Truth with a capital “T”. No, there were many truths, which of course told me that there was really no truth at all.

Chuck Colson said to test the validity of a worldview, follow it to its logical conclusion. The logical conclusion of relativism is absurdity. Non-sense. A worldview that undermines its own premises.

Not long after I graduated from Yale, Allan Bloom wrote his famous book, “The Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today’s Students.” (There’s a subtitle for you!). Bloom wrote that “almost every student entering the university believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative. If this belief is put to the test . . . they will be uncomprehending. That anyone should regard the proposition as not self-evident astonishes them, as though he were calling into question 2 + 2 = 4.”

Bloom then tells the story of his students’ response to the Hindu custom known as sati: burning a widow alive on her husband’s funeral pyre. The British, of course, banned the custom, and sharply reminded the Hindu priests that the British had a different custom: hanging men who burned women alive. How did the students react? Bloom said his students were so steeped in relativism they could only meekly reply “that the British should have never been there in the first place.” Heaven forbid they’d admit it’s wrong to burn women alive.

With relativism so deeply ensconced in our schools and culture, it’s no wonder that Christianity is increasingly viewed with a jaundiced eye. After all, Christians assert that there is a capital “T” Truth, and that we are made in His image—and that therefore every human life is precious. We dare to believe in inviolable moral laws as well—you know, like marriage is sacred and adultery is wrong. We’re kind of crazy like that.

But remember this next time you feel like despairing over the trajectory of our culture: The dictatorship of relativism is built on a self-contradicting foundation of sand. The truth, as Shakespeare wrote, will out. Always.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION - As Eric reminds us, relativism is built on a faulty foundation, and is self-contradictory by its very nature. 

"The Dictatorship of Relativism Comes to Campus" - Eric Metaxas | Intercollegiate Review | Fall 2016; https://home.isi.org/dictatorship-relativism-comes-campus

The Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today's Students- Allan Bloom | Simon & Schuster Publishers | April 2012; http://www.colsoncenterstore.org/product.asp?sku=9781451683202

#1772 (9/27) "Bernie Clinton"

ATTENTION: Please SCROLL DOWN this page to find the article titled on this post in LARGE BRIGHT BLUE CAPITAL LETTERS. Thank you.)

URGENT: A Christian Mother's Mandatory Death Penalty Could Be Overturned. PRAY and Sign the Petition Now! - https://aclj.org/persecuted-church/save-christian-mom-asia-bibi-from-execution? - Asia Bibi was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to execution by hanging.She has been languishing on death row nearly 6 years - separated from her husband and five kids all because of her Christian faith. Now, after more than 2,100 excruciating days, Pakistan's Supreme Court has just granted her an early review of her final appeal.This is a monumental moment in her case. In just weeks, the court could release her or have her hanged. She would be the first woman executed under Pakistan's brutal blasphemy law.The American Center for Law and Justice has been aggressively advocating for her freedom for years - including through our office on the ground in Pakistan. But now is the time for urgent action. The ACLJ is stepping up their vigorous legal advocacy campaign across the globe for her freedom. It is imperative that each of us be heard. Don't let them execute Christian mom Asia Bibi!; SIGN the petition and PRAY for this court decision!

MILITARY TRANSGENDER POLICY: Contact Armed Services Chairmen McCain (committee number: 202-224-3871; office number: 202-224-2235) and  Rep. Thornberry (committee number: 202-225-4151; office number: 202-225-3706) and ask them to put the  brakes on the National Defense Authorization Act conference report until military transgenderism is addressed. America's safety depends on it."

"PROTECT LOCAL SCHOOLS from Federal Overreach into Kids' Restrooms"/ Contact your local school:  - http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=AL16H05&f=AL16H05##FORM

SIGN THE PETITION: Encourage Congress to STOP THE HARVESTING OF ABORTED BABIES (see story in post ##1581) - http://aclj.org/pro-life/stop-planned-parenthood-from-harvesting-and-selling-babies-organs?

Coming In October: "Voiceless." Talk to your pastor about this movie that challenges those who consider themselves pro-life Christians to be more involved more in the effort to rescue the unborn. Go to http://joinvoiceless.com and share it with others. 

YOUR Vote Is Important This Coming November. Check out the following site with answers to your questions of …Why should I vote? How to register to vote? What [more] can I do?http://www.commit2vote2016.com/

BE Prepared TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST ABORTION (...because ALL Babies Matter!): Go to: LIFE Training Institute - http://prolifetraining.com/resources/five-minute-11/  
Be Prepared TO ENGAGE WITH THE PC CULTURE: Go to:"Tactics" -
http://townhall.com/columnists/mikeadams/2016/04/29/tactics-n2154983;"Asking Questions"- 
http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/29295

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PRAYER MATTERS:"To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world." - Karl Barth; "Prayer is inviting God into a seemingly impossible situation and trusting/resting in His love and grace to accomplish His perfect will." - Stan 

PRAY FOR AMERICA: THANK GOD for His many blessings on America throughout it's history. May we then ask that AMERICA once again be a blessing TO GOD, by once again submitting to HIS will in our affairs - both personal and national - that He may truly "heal our land." (2 Chron. 7:14) Short of that, we should not be saying "God Bless America"but instead "God be merciful towards America!" Rev. Franklin Graham: "I do know that the president defends Islam and chastises Christians, rebukes our allies and befriends our enemies, and fully supports gay marriages and abortion but denies the religious freedoms of those who don't agree. Our nation is ridiculed abroad and morally crumbling within. We are in trouble. We have turned our back on God."

PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS:  Let's be praying that they might be Spirit-filled, leading us with Godly wisdom and integrity; that they will  only pass legislation and enact policies that will benefit Americans today as well as future generations and NOT do any lasting harm.
Pray DAILY, esp. beginning Sept. 30, which is the start of 40 days until our NATIONAL ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER. Pray that Americans will elect leaders at the state (Governors, state legislators) and national (Congress and President) levels who have Spirit-filled wisdom, integrity, and a Biblical world-view, who will know and do what is best for us today as well as for future generations.

9/14 - MY PERSONAL UPDATE: Please scroll down to  JOURNAL entry on right side of this blog page for my LATEST news. Job Search Update: THANKS for your continued prayers (and any job leads you might have) as I continue to fill out applications. PRAISE: While I didn’t get the position I interviewed for last week, my name was passed on to other managers and I am hopeful to be called in for another interview within the next few weeks.

World-Wide Prayer Requests:

Learn about Christian Persecution; Check out the World Watch List:
http://live.opendoorsusa.org/wwl/?utm_source=action&utm_medium=email&utm_content=content-banner&utm_campaign=may-2016

PRAY for the ON-GOING crisis now happening in IRAQ/SYRIA.  Pray that coalition forces will be able to destroy the leadership and infrastructure of ISIS.

"Why It's Becoming More Difficult to Be a Christian in INDIA" - 03-03-2016;
http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2016/March/Why-Its-Becoming-More-Difficult-to-Be-a-Christian-in-India

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"BERNIE CLINTON" - Stephen Moore |Sep 27, 2016; http://townhall.com/columnists/stephenmoore/2016/09/27/bernie-clinton-n2223911

Someone might want to inform Hillary Clinton that greed and envy are two of the seven deadly sins.
     
Her new revised tax plan would raise the estate tax to as high as 65 percent -- up from 40 percent, where it is today. She would also apply this hated death tax to as many as twice as many estates.
     
It's one of her dumbest ideas yet -- and that is saying a lot. It won't raise any revenue to speak of. It's a bow-tied gift to estate-tax lawyers and accountants. Many studies have found that the cost to the economy of taxing a lifetime of savings more than outweighs any benefits. It actually could end up costing the Treasury money by reducing investment in family businesses, which are a major engine of growth for our economy.
     
But Clinton wants to take us back to the 1970s. According to a Wall Street Journal analysis, the plan would impose a 50 percent rate to estates over $10 million a person, a 55 percent rate to estates over $50 million a person, and the top rate of 65 percent to estates exceeding $500 million in assets for a single person or $1 billion for a married couple.
     
What Clinton doesn't get is this: Anyone who's smart enough to make half a billion dollars is smart enough to find a way to dodge this confiscatory tax. That's the whole history of the death tax: The very rich never pay it.
       
 So why this act of desperation from Clinton? The answer is fairly obvious. She's sinking in the polls. She's terrified of losing the Bernie Sanders voters by not being tough enough on the superrich. So she's adopted the Sanders tax policy. Sanders has said there's nothing wrong with taking more and more money from people in the top 0.3 percent of incomes.
     
Clinton: Is a 70 or 80 percent income tax next? This might win over even more Sanders supporters.
     
I'm not going to explain again the economic argument against the death tax. I'm going to make an ethical and moral argument. Who in her right mind thinks that it's appropriate in America for the government to take two-thirds of someone's lifetime earnings? A billionaire has already paid millions and millions of dollars in taxes over the course of his life. Why is the government the rightful owner of one's legacy -- the sweat and equity and 60-hour workweeks spent building a business -- and not that person's family members?
       
The origins of the death tax come from the Communist Manifesto. This tax was touted by Karl Marx as one of the strategies to secure government ownership of assets. Think about it: With a 50 percent death tax, over time the government will own 50 percent of the nation's assets. With a 100 percent estate tax -- and Clinton's proposal isn't far from that -- the government eventually owns... everything.
     
This is a big issue, because over the next 25 years or so, tens of trillions of dollars in assets will be transferred from aging baby boomers to their kids and grandkids. The left wants to get its greedy hands on that treasure chest of money. Every American should resist this power grab by the avaricious political class. They are the real robber barons, worshiping money above all else.
       
If Clinton were to win and adopt this death-tax policy, the small-business model in America would largely disappear. Why build a legacy if you cannot pass it on? Donald Trump should insist that it is your right as an American to leave your worldly possessions to your children.
     
Trump would eliminate the death tax. He understands that the proper role of government is to facilitate wealth creation, not to destroy it.
     
Clinton's campaign justified this new confiscation tax by saying that only a few hundred people every year would pay it. That misses the point. An unjust law is unjust whether it applies to 200 people or 2 million people. Americans understand this principal of basic fairness better than the Yale-educated Clinton does. They don't buy into the politics of greed and envy. That's why two-thirds of voters favor eliminating the tax, not doubling down on it.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

#1721 (9/26) "How to Use Presidential Debate to Talk About Conservatism"

"HOW TO USE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TO TALK ABOUT CONSERVATISM" - Beverly Hallberg / September 23, 2016 / http://dailysignal.com/2016/09/23/how-to-use-presidential-debate-to-talk-about-conservativism/?

While we want to be entertained during the 90-minute debate (no risk of being slighted this year), you want to move past the performance and instead discuss policy. (Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA /Newscom)

With an estimated 100 million people tuning in to watch Monday night’s presidential debate, the topic of conversation for the week will be the showdown between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, therefore giving you ample opportunity to talk conservative policy.

But you’ll have to be diligent in this endeavor as the memorable moments in presidential debates are rarely about policy:

* Ronald Reagan disarmed Walter Mondale in a 1984 debate, saying, “I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” The punchline not only made the audience laugh, but Mondale genuinely cracked up too.
* In 1988, Michael Dukakis lacked every emotion when asked if he would favor the death penalty if his wife were raped and murdered. He responded without mentioning his, uh, wife: “No, I don’t … I think you know that I’ve opposed the death penalty during all of my life. I don’t see any evidence that it’s a deterrent and I think there are better and more effective ways to deal with violent crime.”
* Most remember that Al Gore repeatedly sighed as George W. Bush spoke during a 2000 debate. “But the best moment might have been when Gore at one point stood up, seemingly to intimidate Bush, and Bush simply nodded hello at him and continued what he was saying,” writes Time’s Dan Mitchell.

These moments are brought to you by an “uh-oh,” or a laugh, or a great sound bite, not policy. But we promise the ensuing chatter around these moments and the superficial aspects highlighted by the media allows you to pivot to a substantive conversation.

Here are three ways to focus your otherwise shallow conversation on conservative policy.

Common Ground
    While we want to be entertained during the 90-minute debate (no risk of being slighted this year), you want to move past the performance and instead discuss policy. Acknowledge the moments the media will obsess over, but then pivot to the candidates’ policies on your political issue of choice.

For example, if a candidate makes an exaggerated claim about income inequality that the media just can’t stop talking about, acknowledge the claim as absurd and then pivot to policy. Use common identifiers like “we both know his/her statement was absurd, but the policy behind it needs to be addressed. We can both agree that…” You recognize the absurdity of the claim (common ground) and then refocus the conversation on the substance behind the claim.

Examples
     Use what the candidates say. Even if we witness in-depth policy discussions Monday night, you may disagree with the style and substance. Play off the candidates’ comments to give tangible examples. If the person you’re talking to cares about guns, or health care, or income inequality, refer back to the columns we’ve written about how to have conversations about those topics.

Remember, you win by using an example, personal anecdote, or analogy that frames the policy in a relatable way. And adding in a simple data point along with an example is always a great way to prove you’re right … because numbers, like hips, don’t lie.

Words
     NEWS FLASH: Beating someone over the head with your perspective is not persuasive. You gain no ground by talking (or yelling) at someone. They will shut down and likely never want to discuss politics with you again. We know the debate will be heated Monday, but don’t let that tension influence your conversation.

A great way to resist the temptation to yell/kick/scream your way to winning is to use the right words. Talk about “choice,” what’s “fair,” “rights,” and “equality.” It’s been said many times before, but steal the words and phrases used to great effect by liberals. Doing so is disarming, but more importantly, those words accurately describe your conservative policy position too.

While fireworks are expected, remember that what the candidates do on stage won’t be worth mimicking in real life, especially if you want to persuade. Instead, find common ground, use examples, and say the right words.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

Beverly Hallberg is the president of District Media Group.

#1720 (9/25) SUNDAY SPECIAL: "...MORE PROOF FAITH IS GOOD FOR AMERICA"

ATTENTION: Please SCROLL DOWN this page to find the article titled on this post in LARGE BRIGHT BLUE CAPITAL LETTERS. Thank you.)
SO YOU KNOW... Yes, there were some unexpected problems suddenly with my computer on Wednesday just minutes before I was to send out this post. But thanks to my faithful friend, Dan Lum - who worked on it from 11 pm to 1 am last night! - it's now working fine. Don't know what I would do without Dan being available; I am truly blessed to have such friends.

"'Religion, the Great Economic Engine - MORE PROOF FAITH IS GOOD FOR AMERICA'"- By: John Stonestreet| Breakpoint.org: September 23, 2016; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/29880

Guess who has the world’s 15th largest economy, right between Russia and Australia? American religion. Yep.

A few months ago on BreakPoint, I mentioned a Pew study that demonstrated Americans’ increasing ignorance of the vital role played by religious institutions in this country. Between 2001 and 2016, the percentage of Americans who think that religion plays a role in solving important social problems fell from 75 percent to 58 percent.

As I said at the time, “part of the problem is that the religious contribution to the common good is so woven into the fabric of American life, most people these days just take it for granted and never stop to think about how prevalent it really is.” In fact, according to another study, half of Americans think that the government could replace religious organizations with no problems and nothing lost.

And now, a new study quantifies just how wrong half of Americans are. Published in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Research in Religion, the study quantifies that “religion in the United States today contributes $1.2 trillion each year to our economy and society.” That’s “trillion” with a “tr,” or “more than the top ten tech companies combined—including Google, Apple, and Amazon.”

Put another way, if American religion were a country, it would rank 14th or 15th among the world’s economies, just ahead of Russia and just behind Australia. Put still another way, religion accounts for a little under seven percent of our economic output.

Now you still think that religion can just be replaced?
     The study conducted by Brian and Melissa Grim of Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs reminds those willing to listen that the nation’s 344,000 religious congregations aren’t just houses of worship, “they are also the nucleus of many communities.” They are the “centers for job training, charity, child care, and social events.” 
     They employ “hundreds of thousands of people, creating jobs, and spend billions of dollars on goods and services, which support local businesses.” And finally, they fund 1.5 million social programs and gather 7.5 million volunteers.

As Brian Grim put it, the benefits of religion aren’t intangible, nor are they limited to the members of these congregations. People of faith serve the vulnerable because of their faith.
A little-known example of this outreach are the 78,000 programs that help “people struggling with mental illness.” That’s three times as many programs as there are Starbucks in the entire world! Yet, while people joke about how ubiquitous Starbucks are, no one takes note of how all-pervasive these programs are.

Without these programs, the communities that rely upon them would be far worse off than they are. And yet an increasing number of Americans think religion can just be replaced.

In light of these findings, think of the recent attempts to force churches to go along with the sexual revolution in places like Iowa and Massachusetts. Both efforts assume a private/public distinction that, as the report documents, just doesn’t exist.

For many congregations, what it means to be the Church isn’t limited to the four walls of their sanctuaries, and their understanding of what it means to love their neighbor isn’t limited to the folks in the pews. That’s why churches form the nucleus of so many communities.

In effect, proposals like the ones in Iowa and Massachusetts punish people of faith for loving their neighbors as themselves. Worse than that, they’re willing to sacrifice the vulnerable among us in the furtherance of the ideological projects of the sexual revolution, a revolution that has already left millions of victims in its wake.

As Brian and Melissa Grim make unmistakably clear, there is no area of life that Americans care about, or at least should care about, in which people of faith, motivated by their faith, are absent. And their presence is making an incredible difference.

Even if people refuse to notice.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION - When you hear people say we don’t need religion in public life, set the record straight. And be sure to check out the U. S. News and World Report’s article below on the economic value of religion in America.

RESOURCES
"Could Religion's Decline Spell Damnation for the U.S. Economy?" - Andrew Soergel | US News & World Report | September 14, 2016; http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-09-14/could-religions-decline-spell-damnation-for-the-us-economy

"No Christianity, No Hospitals: Don’t Take Christian Contributions for Granted" - John Stonestreet | BreakPoint.org | July 28, 2016; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-archive/entry/13/29628

The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism and Western Success
- Rodney Stark | Random House Trade | October 2006; http://www.colsoncenterstore.org/product.asp?sku=0812972333

American Piety Revisited: The Shape of Contemporary Religious Commitment
- Rodney Stark, Byron Johnson, Christopher Bader | Baylor University Press| September 2008; http://www.colsoncenterstore.org/product.asp?sku=1602581789

#1719 (9/24) PRO-LIFE SAT: "Think There is No Difference Between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on Abortion? Then Read This"

"THINK THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DONALD TRUMP AND HILLARY CLINTON ON ABORTION? THEN READ THIS" -  Carol Tobias, Sep. 22, 2016 | http://www.lifenews.com/2016/09/22/think-there-is-no-difference-between-donald-trump-and-hillary-clinton-on-abortion-then-read-this/ [AS I SEE IT: Each of this year's candidates for President have talked about what disqualifies their opponent from being President. In one of her recent commercials, Hillary Clinton has been talking about how much she has always tried to help every born child in America. Just listen to her speak and she is careful to only mention children who are born. What she also says in effect perfectly clear - she has no regard for the unborn child. To her, those children are just not worth protecting. And as this article explains, this becomes perfectly clear in the legislation she - and the Democratic Party - does support. To me it is clear - someone with such a disregard of the most innocent and defenseless human life is disqualified from leading our country or serving us in any way. - Stan] 

In a little more than a month, we will be electing leaders at all levels of government to determine the course of our country for many years to come. On the ballot this year will be candidates for president, 34 states will have candidates for U.S. Senate, every state will have candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, some of you will be voting for Governor, Attorney General, and other state offices, and most of you will have state legislative races.

The contrast between presidential candidates is so very clear.

Donald Trump wrote in a news column earlier this year, “Let me be clear — I am pro-life. I support that position with exceptions allowed for rape, incest or the life of the mother being at risk. I did not always hold this position, but I had a significant personal experience that brought the precious gift of life into perspective for me.”

Donald Trump has stated his commitment to signing the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which will protect unborn children who can feel pain, essentially ending late-term abortions. Trump opposes taxpayer funding of abortion and abortion providers, and has repeatedly expressed his commitment to appointing pro-life judges.

Hillary Clinton is exactly the opposite. As a U.S Senator, she voted 100% against the babies. There was no limit on abortion that she would accept. We had a 12-year battle to ban partial-birth abortion. In this procedure, the abortionist grabs the unborn baby’s leg with forceps and pulls the baby into the birth canal. The abortionist delivers the baby’s entire body, except for the head. He jams scissors into the baby’s skull and opens the scissors to enlarge the hole. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child’s brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.

Horrifying? Gruesome? Hillary Clinton voted repeatedly to keep partial-birth abortion legal. Thankfully, in 2007, the Supreme Court upheld a ban on partial-birth abortion.

Many states have laws requiring parents be notified, or give consent, before an abortion is performed on their minor daughter. The laws are often circumvented when minors are transported, often by older boyfriends, to other states that do not have parental involvement requirements. Congress tried to protect the rights of parents in these situations, but Senate Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, blocked the bills. Clinton doesn’t care about your rights as a parent. She apparently has no problem with someone taking your daughter out of state to get an abortion so you don’t have to be told.

The State Children’s Health Insurance program, or SCHIP, is a federal program that provides funds to states primarily so they may provide health services to children of low-income families. In 2002, the administration of President George W. Bush issued a regulation giving states the option of covering unborn children under the program, a policy known as the “unborn child rule.” The Senate, in 2007, held a vote to codify the “unborn child rule” so it couldn’t be changed by a future administration. The amendment would have written explicit language into the SCHIP statute to guarantee that a covered child “includes, at the option of a State, an unborn child.” Hillary Clinton voted No. This woman, who wants us to think she really cares about health care, didn’t think unborn children should get health care.

In contrast to Trump, Hillary Clinton opposes the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. She apparently thinks it’s okay to kill unborn babies who have developed far enough that they can feel pain.

And, of course, Hillary Clinton is Planned Parenthood’s favorite candidate. The nation’s largest abortion provider announced it will spend around $20 million to elect Clinton and pro-abortion Senators. In return, Clinton and the Democrat Party platform calls for the repeal of the Hyde amendment so that abortion on demand is funded by our tax dollars.

When Bill Clinton was president, he said that abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare.” Hillary doesn’t bother to say rare. She just wants it legal. In fact, she has said the unborn child has no constitutional rights up until the day of birth. When you think Hillary Clinton, think abortion for all nine months for any reason. No limit or restriction is to be permitted.

In addition to a critical presidential race, we need to elect pro-life Senators and Representatives to pass bills to send to a pro-life president; or do what is necessary and possible to stop pro-abortion efforts by a pro-abortion president. We need to elect pro-life governors and attorneys general and legislators so that states can continue to enact and defend pro-life legislation, giving the Supreme Court opportunities to overturn Roe v Wade.

I am a tremendous admirer of Winston Churchill. He was the right man in the right place at the right time to, quite frankly, save the world. If it hadn’t been for Churchill’s determination and indomitable spirit, we can’t know how much of the world Adolph Hitler would have conquered.

In the book, The Last Lion, Defender of the Realm, Churchill says that Hitler was out-killing even his Teutonic ancestors. And not since the Mongols came in the thirteenth century had Europe seen such “methodical, merciless butchery” on such a monstrous scale. “We are in the presence,” he concluded, “of a crime without a name.”

I read that and thought, wow, methodical, merciless butchery on such a monstrous scale, we are in the presence of a crime without a name. I’m sure you know what I was thinking. One million unborn babies killed every year– some scraped out of the uterus with a metal curette, some of these little ones vacuumed or suctioned out; still others bleeding to death as they are torn apart limb by limb in the dismemberment process. Except, this crime does have a name– abortion. And we must do everything we can to stop it. The battle before us is to elect pro-life candidates so that we may continue our push forward to protect those babies.

LifeNews Note: Carol Tobias is the president of the National Right to Life Committee.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

"'How Can Pro-Abortion Hillary Clinton Say 'The True Measure of Society is How We Treat Children' ” - Micaiah Bilger, Sept. 22, 2016  |http://www.lifenews.com/2016/09/22/how-can-pro-abortion-hillary-clinton-say-the-true-measure-of-society-is-how-we-treat-children/ 

"Hillary Clinton’s Plan to Make Americans Fund Abortions 'is Right Out of Margaret Sanger’s Playbook'” - Rep. Keith Rotfus, Sept.23, 2016; http://www.lifenews.com/2016/09/23/hillary-clintons-plan-to-make-americans-fund-abortions-is-right-out-of-margaret-sangers-playbook/
"... Last year during a speech she gave at the 6th annual Women in the World Summit she unapologetically painted “religious beliefs,” as an undue obstacle to abortion. She suggested that abortion (unsurprisingly veiled under the phrase 'reproductive healthcare') is necessary for women’s advancement in society. 'Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will,' she opined, 'And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed.'”
    "In other words, with Clinton in the Oval Office, there would be little to no space for authentic religious expression in the public sphere. Religious freedom, especially as it pertains to the issue of abortion, would be reduced to freedom of worship — believe what you want inside your church or place of worship, but step into the public sphere, and you must live according to the moral dictates of the secular state."
    "The fact is, Clinton’s tactics are right out of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger’s playbook. Sanger was a racist and eugenicist who referred to African-Americans and disabled Americans as 'morons,' 'imbeciles,' 'human weeds' and 'misfits.' Sanger admired — and closely studied — Stalinist Russia’s eugenicist policies. She marveled at how the communist state utilized both abortion and religious oppression to advance its societal goals. Like her protégé Hillary Clinton, Sanger attacked religious beliefs as an obstacle to abortion and stated: 'We [in America] could well take example from Russia.'”
    "As I consider the serious challenges to life and religious freedom we face today, I recall the timeless words of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who wrote in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail: “If today I lived in a communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country’s antireligious laws.” Inspired by Dr. King’s courage and unrelenting conviction, we must never stop fighting for life and religious freedom, the cornerstones of the American way, and we must speak loudly for the most defenseless and voiceless among us at the ballot box this November."

#1718 (9/23) "Charlotte Riots Hurt Police-Community Relations, Put Police in More Danger"

"CHAROLETTE RIOTS HURT POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS, PUT POLICE IN MORE DANGER" - Scott Erickson / September 22, 2016 / http://dailysignal.com/2016/09/22/charlotte-riots-hurt-police-community-relations-put-police-in-more-danger/ [AS I SEE IT: There is never anything wrong with protests, you can almost say its an American tradition going back to colonial days when citizens protested Great Britain's heavy-handed actions. But more and more we protests devolve into violence and now even unprovoked violence toward law enforcement. When the rule of law is attacked with violence, we are ALL in danger of anarchy and that can never be tolerated. Those who truly want to peacefully protest must do more to speak out against those who insert violence in their actions. - Stan]

A protester confronts riot police officers in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo: Caitlin Penna/EPA/Newscom)

Protesters took the streets to demand “justice” almost immediately following the police shooting death of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday afternoon.
Like too many other similar incidents, the protests ultimately turned into riots, and widespread looting and violence ensued.

Justice for what, exactly, is unknown at this point. The question remains unanswerable because, much like the recent police-involved shooting and subsequent unrest in Milwaukee, protesters and rioters took to the streets before virtually any of the facts or circumstances surrounding the incident were revealed. Social media again proved itself an amazing conduit for the promotion of potentially dangerous misinformation as rumors quickly spread through Twitter and Facebook that Scott was unarmed at the time of his death.

Protesters held aloft signs that read, “It was a book,” echoing a rumor that Scott had been holding a book at the time of the shooting—a narrative the media was quick to spread even without any corroborating evidence outside of rumor and conjecture.

Police, however, quickly pointed out a very different version of events than the mainstream and social media-driven narrative. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney told the media that Scott was in fact armed with a gun when police officers encountered him. Putney further stated that Scott was given several commands to drop his weapon, but that he did not comply. Only after Scott posed an “imminent deadly threat” did a police officer open fire.

What is occurring in Charlotte continues not only to erode police and community relations, but also to make the job of the average police officer more difficult and dangerous. It was also later revealed that both Scott and the officer involved in the shooting, Brentley Vinson, were African-American.

But, as has sadly been the case in numerous similar events, neither facts nor reason could stop some people from the rush to condemn law enforcement and engage in violence. During the first night of rioting, 16 police officers were injured as rioters hurled rocks and other items at officers on the line. 

On Wednesday night, during the second night of violent unrest, multiple people were reported injured—including one critically after allegedly being shot by another protester—and dozens of protesters took over Interstate 277, blocking traffic. The resulting violence prompted North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, at the apparent urging of Putney, to declare a state of emergency and initiate the National Guard and State Highway Patrol to help local police contain the violence. McCrory added in a statement, “Any violence directed toward our citizens or police officers or destruction of property should not be tolerated.”

What is occurring in Charlotte—an immediate rush to judgment and condemnation of an officer’s actions followed by rampant violence and civil unrest—continues not only to erode police and community relations, but also to make the job of the average police officer more difficult and dangerous.

Civil society requires an adherence to the rule of law, and the rule of law itself must be enforced through the formal mechanism of law enforcement.

As a profession, law enforcement is arguably experiencing its most difficult period since the late 1960s and early 1970s, and the continued demagoguery aimed at the American police officer does not bode well for the health and safety of our nation’s communities.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

Scott G. Erickson is the president of Americans in Support of Law Enforcement.

#1717 (9/22) "The Lost Purpose for Learning.."

"The Lost Purpose for Learning - ROOTING DUALISM OUT OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION" - By: John Stonestreet|Breakpoint.org: September 6, 2016; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/29803

Christian education is much more than education with longer skirts and shorter hair. Here's a Christian vision for learning.

Christian Overman, who directs the Seattle-based Worldview Matters and is a commissioned Colson Fellow, believes—and I largely agree—that we’ve lost the culture because we’ve lost our schools—including, in some cases, important distinctives that make Christian schools, well, Christian. “The shaping of nations begins in the minds of children,” Chris says. “Nation-shaping ideas acquired in elementary and secondary schools are not immediately felt on a national level because it takes time for little acorns to grow into giant oaks. But grow they will.”

In a new, thought-provoking e-book, “The Lost Purpose for Learning,” Chris articulates clearly what has gone awry and offers a systemic, intentional, and repeatable solution for Christian school teachers and headmasters, Sunday school workers, and other church personnel who interact with students between the ages of 4 and 18. It’s simply “must-reading” for Christians involved in education.

As Christian notes, in the years before the federal government took over teaching our children, education was largely a Christian endeavor—not just in the sense that it was run by Christians, but in that it was founded on Christian assumptions about God, life, the world, and humanity. And the primary assumption was that Christ is Lord of all—not just of so-called “religious” subjects, but of everything, including biology, math, even physics.

When the government took over, some Christians, such as A.A. Hodge, warned that the schools would become indoctrination centers for atheism. Well, that’s not exactly what happened, Chris says. Instead, education became “secular” and officially neutral. God went from being the center of knowledge to the periphery. Education professionals taught their subjects not as if God doesn’t exist—at least not overtly—but as if He doesn’t matter. It’s not atheism but, as one author has called it, “practical atheism,” which included something even more insidious—dualism.

“A dualist,” Chris says, “is one who… doesn't make any significant connection between God's Word and what goes on in the Monday through Friday workplace because … ‘faith’ is a personal, private matter, while the workplace is public, and therefore ‘secular.’”

Indeed. This sort of dualism is often quite evident in so-called “Christian” education, too. Christian education, in many schools, is little more than education with Christianity sprinkled on top. Academics, but in a safe, Christian environment. Classes, but also Bible class and chapel. Of course, environment matters, and Bible classes are necessary, but in and of themselves, they’re not enough to make an education truly Christian.

Richard John Neuhaus, in his article “The Christian University: Eleven Theses,” said that the word “Christian” is not a limiting label for an institution. “Rather, it’s the starting point, the end point, and the guiding inspiration along the way.”

A holistically Christian education is an education with Christian goals, with a Christian vision, with Christian pedagogy, and with a Christian understanding of who it is that we’re actually teaching.

Whenever we teach the next generation, we’re stewarding souls—not biological machines or mental computers made of meat, but God’s image-bearers, who as John Calvin would say, are inherently worshipers. And so in a sense, education teaches people how to worship, and Christian education should teach people how to worship well, in every area of life.

In his e-book, “The Lost Purpose for Learning,” Christian Overman correctly identifies the inherent problem of dualism. Even better, he offers solutions. Please come to BreakPoint.org/free to get your free copy.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION
The Lost Purpose for Learning- Chris Overman | ebook - https://issuu.com/christianoverman/docs/the_lost_purpose_for_learning.docx?e=26021780/38120481

Worldview Matters - http://www.biblicalworldview.com/

"The Christian University: Eleven Theses"
- John Richard Neuhaus | First Things | January 1996; https://www.firstthings.com/article/1996/01/the-christian-university-eleven-theses