#2227 (2/28) "More Than A Motto"

"MORE THAN A MOTTO" - Tony Perkins, Washington Update, Feb. 23, 2018; http://www.frc.org/updatearticle/20180223/more-motto [AS I SEE IT: The writers quoted in this article make points you are likely not to hear reported in the mainstream media. But I think that we should at least be hearing it presented from our pulpits. I also wish President Trump would also take time to state what's noted in this article. - Stan]

Nothing we do will ever bring back the 17 bright lights of Parkland. Children, coaches, lifetimes of promise -- all lost, too soon. As parents, we've watched moms and dads in communities all across America experience an agony we can't fathom. We've cried at the photos of smiling teenagers who will never have another school picture. And we wonder -- when will we make it stop, or at least lessen?

The faceless, nameless crisis that leads people to murder innocent people -- is there a cure? More Americans than ever are desperately seeking one. "What's gone wrong with our culture that produces such atrocities?" Peggy Noonan asked before answering her own question. "It's a very long list." In a country so numb to violence, what happened in Florida feels different. Gun control is back on the table, but so is the longing for something deeper.

"It is not a secret that we have some gun issues that need to be addressed," said Florida Rep. Kimberly Daniels, a Democrat, "but the real thing that needs to be addressed are the issues of the heart." Following nearby Arkansas, she is sponsoring a bill to bring the conversation back to what matters: God. This week, her legislation to require "In God We Trust" in every school shows how quickly the environment is changing. By 97-10, state leaders agreed, it's time to address the real problem. Daniels was just as heartbroken as any American when she heard the news of the school shooting. But, she believes God spoke to her and said, "Do not politicize what has happened in Florida, and do not make this a thing of division." So, she worked on a different solution -- reminding people to do good. "God is not a Republican or a Democrat. He is not black or white. He is the light and our schools need light in them like never before."

What's wrong, Noonan writes, deep down we all know.
     "The family blew up -- divorce, unwed childbearing. Fatherless sons. Fatherless daughters, too. Poor children with no one to love them. The internet flourished. Porn proliferated. Drugs, legal and illegal. Violent videogames, in which nameless people are eliminated and spattered all over the screen... The abortion regime settled in, with its fierce, endless yet somehow casual talk about the right to end a life... So much change, so much of it un-gentle. Throughout, was anyone looking to children and what they need?"

The questions after Parkland are the same ones we've had since Columbine. But now is the time for honesty. We can harden the targets, but we need to soften hearts too. Nothing we do will matter if we don't acknowledge that America has lost its way – that we've reject the creator, and creation has turned on itself. Our children are our future, and they're far too valuable to keep drawing political lines and standing on one side or the other. If we want to talk about access to guns, we've got to talk about access to God. And it's not happening in our schools today.

We need Americans from both sides of the aisle who are willing to look for real solutions that fill the cracks in our families and our hearts. I'm willing. "It starts," Ken Blackwell told me yesterday on "Washington Watch, "with how we value life. I know there are a lot of intellectuals on the political Left who don't see the connection, but when you start to destroy innocent human life because of unwantedness, you in fact begin to cheapen the value of life. As a consequence, it's been manifested in our culture, and it makes it easier for people to become insensitive to the loss of innocent life... As we've all said for decades, you can't run God and faith out of the public square and not expect to have these sort of consequences."

Noonan, who sees the world crumbling all around us, thinks our kids are watching.
    "I'll tell you what I think a teenager absorbs about [abortion], unconsciously, in America. He sees a headline online, he passes a television in an airport, he hears the quick story and he thinks: 'If the baby we don't let live is unimportant, then I guess I am unimportant. And you're unimportant too.' They don't even know they're breathing that in. But it's there, in the atmosphere, and they're breathing it in. And it doesn't make you healthier."

[italics and colored emphasis mine]

"The Parkland Massacre and the Air We Breathe" - Peggy Noonan,  The Wall Street Journal: February 22, 2018; http://www.peggynoonan.com/

#2226 (2/27) "Why the Left Opposes Arming Teachers"

"WHY THE LEFT OPPOSES ARMING TEACHERS" - Dennis Prager: Feb 27, 2018; https://townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/2018/02/27/why-the-left-opposes-arming-teachers-n2454716 [AS I SEE IT: Like this writer, I too can't understand why no one is talking about requiring any teacher to carry a gun but those who are willing to, have a background check themselves, and who are well-trained. If a teacher is willing to put his/her life on the line to protect a student, why shouldn't they be equipped to do so as effectively as possible. A shooter will always hesitate (I agree with the President that such people are basically cowards who want to target the innocent) when they think someone they confront might have a gun just as a robber will hesitate if they have any idea that the clerk might have a weapon (which many now do). Of course, there will be details to work out and their should be. But to simply dismiss the President's suggestion out of hand makes no sense. - Stan]

Why does the left oppose allowing a small number of highly trained teachers and other adults who work at schools to arm themselves?

When asked, their response is consistent: "It's a crazy idea." And "We need fewer guns, not more guns." A New York Times editorial offered the following argument against having any armed teachers: "Nationwide statistics on police shooting accuracy are not to be found. But if New York is typical, analyses show that its officers hit their targets only one-third of the time. And during gunfights, when the adrenaline is really pumping, that accuracy can drop to as low as 13 percent."
But if that is an argument against armed teachers, why isn't it an argument against armed police?

And that argument was Aristotelian compared to this one from a Los Angeles Times editorial: "If a pistol-strapping chemistry teacher had grabbed her .45 and unloaded on today's gunman after he killed, what, one student? Three? Five? That would be good news?" Of course, no murder is "good news." But to most of us, one or three or five as compared with 17  murdered is good news. Only those who think it isn't good news think permitting some teachers and other school staff to be armed is a bad idea.

Beyond such arguments, the left rarely, if ever, explains why allowing some teachers and other adults in a school to be armed is a crazy idea. They merely assert it as a self-evident truth. But, of course, it's not a self-evident truth. On the contrary, having some adults who work at schools be trained in the responsible use of guns makes so much sense that the left's blanket opposition seems puzzling.

It shouldn't be. On the question of taking up arms against evil, the left is very consistent.
The left almost always opposes fighting evil and almost always works to disarm the good who want to fight. This is as true on the national level as it is on the personal.

Those old enough to remember the Cold War will remember that the left constantly called for a "nuclear freeze," including a unilateral freeze by Western countries. Likewise, the European left mounted huge demonstrations against America bringing Pershing 2 missiles into Western Europe. No matter how violent the Soviet Union was, the left always opposed a strong Western military. The left mocked then-President Ronald Reagan's call for an anti-ballistic missile defense system; it couldn't understand why Americans would think being able to protect America from incoming ballistic missiles was a good and moral idea. The left so effectively derided the idea, mockingly dubbing it "Star Wars," that few knew its real name: the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI).

So, too, the left universally condemns Israeli attacks on those who seek not merely to defeat Israel but to exterminate it. The left around the world condemned Israel's military responses to Hamas launching missiles at Israeli civilian targets. They declared Israel's counterattacks "disproportionate" -- because more Gazans were killed than Israelis. Never mind which party was the aggressor or which party targeted civilians. Had the left been as active in the 1940s, it surely would have condemned the Allies for their bombing of Germany and Japan; after all, far more German and Japanese civilians were killed in Allied bombing raids than Allied civilians were killed in German bombing raids. Now that was really "disproportionate."

Fighting evil is the left's Achilles heel. As I have repeatedly noted, the left fights little evils, or even non-evils, rather than great evils.

With regard to fighting communism in the 20th century and today fighting radical Islamic terror and Islamist treatment of women, the Stalinist North Korean regime, the Holocaust-denying and Holocaust-planning theocracy of Iran, the Syrian mass murderers and the violent crime in America, the left is either silent or appeasing. And, of course, it works constantly to weaken the American military, the world's greatest force against evil.

But the left does direct its fighting spirit against Confederate statues, schools with the name of slave owners (including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson), carbon emissions, income inequality, "microaggressions," "white privilege," any limitation on abortion, Columbus Day, "Islamophobia," Israeli settlements, "Russian collusion" and the like. Against these minimal or nonexistent evils, the left is ferocious.

That is why the left opposes enabling some teachers and other adults in schools to carry arms in order to possibly stop a mass murderer: The left doesn't fight evil; it fights those who do. Just as the left hated anti-communists, hates opponents of Islamism and hates Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (far more than the Iranian ayatollahs), it hates those who wish to see teachers and others voluntarily armed take down the murderers of our children.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

"Scores Of Ohio Teachers Sign Up For Free Gun Training Lessons For Concealed Carry" - Matt Vespa Matt Vespa |Posted: Feb 26, 2018; https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2018/02/26/scores-of-ohio-teachers-sign-up-for-free-gun-training-lessons-n2453816
     "...Sheriff Richard Jones added that most school shootings are over in three-and-a-half to four minutes; police response time is usually around five minutes.  It’s one of the few reasons why he’s pushing these courses to make schools safer in his jurisdiction, though many disagree with the initiative. Another one that’s being floated is hiring military veterans as armed security in schools."

#2225 (2/26) "Do Not Let Children Lead the Gun Debate"

"DO NOT LET CHILDREN LEAD THE GUN DEBATE" - Michelle Malkin / @michellemalkin / February 22, 2018 / http://dailysignal.com/2018/02/22/do-not-let-the-children-lead-gun-debate/ [AS I SEE IT: I overall agree with this writer. The media does a good job of highlighting the most articulate (usually) but too many make emotional statements that are not thought through nor can they be with so little life experience. It's sad that so many do not realize they are being used by the media, certain academics, and special interest groups to push their agenda. I just hope enough Americans are discerning well whose voices are worth our consideration and whose are not. - Stan]

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Where are all the grown-ups in times of crisis and grief? Don’t bother searching America’s prestigious law schools.

Two adult men, occupying lofty perches as law professors, argued this week that the voting age in the U.S. should be lowered to 16 because some high school survivors of the Parkland, Florida, shooting who want gun control “are proving how important it is to include young people’s voices in political debate.” That was the assertion of University of Kentucky law professor Joshua Douglas on CNN.com. He praised some student leaders at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who’ve been making the rounds on TV, shouting at President Donald Trump, Republicans in Congress, and the National Rifle Association “to demand change”—which Douglas defines obtusely as “meaningful gun control,” whatever that means. Because these children are apparently doing a better job at broadcasting his own ineffectual political views, Douglas asserts, “we should include them more directly in our democratic process” by enfranchising them now.

Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe similarly tweeted, “Teens between 14 and 18 have far better BS detectors, on average, than ‘adults’ 18 and older.” On what basis does Tribe make such a claim? On a foundation of BS.Undaunted, gun control advocate Tribe urged: “Wouldn’t it be great if the voting age were lowered to 16? Just a pipe dream, I know, but … #Children’sCrusade?”

This is unadulterated silliness. It’s hashtag hokum from a pair of pandering left-wing profs exploiting a new round of Democratic youth props. I have called this rhetorical fallacy “argumentum ad filium”: If politicians appeal to the children, it’s unassailably good and true.

This is not compassion, but abdication. America is not a juvenilocracy. It is a constitutional republic. There is a reason we don’t elect high school sophomores and juniors to public office or allow them to cast ballots. There are many, many reasons, actually.

Pubescents are [generally] fueled by hormones and dopamine and pizza and Sonic shakes. They’re fickle and fragile and fierce and forgetful. They hate you. They love you. They need you. They ignore you. They know everything. They know nothing. All in the span of 10 seconds. I know. I have two of them.

If you’re lucky, they’ve only Googled “Should I eat Tide Pods?” or “What happens if I snort ramen powder?” and not actually attempted the latest social media stunt challenges.

But that’s what kids do. Because they’re kids.

Many may be exceptionally smart, passionate, and articulate beyond their years, but they do not possess any semblance of wisdom because they have not lived those years. Their knowledge of history, law, and public policy is severely limited (Common Core certainly hasn’t helped). And their moral agency and cognitive abilities are far from fully developed.

Most are in no position to change the world when they can’t even remember to change their own bedsheets.

Yet, Tribe relishes the opportunity to hide behind the young Parkland activists headed to CNN’s propaganda town halls and Washington, D.C.: “NRA will meet more than its match in these amazing kids,” he gleefully cheered. “[I]t’ll meet its master and will be brought to heel. At long last.”

President Barack Obama employed this very same kiddie human shield strategy to ram his federal health care takeover through Capitol Hill and down our throats. Immigration and education lobbyists use it, too. Their cynicism is unbounded.

Human prop-a-palooza infantilizes public discourse and renders measured, mature dissent impossible. Those who question the logic, efficacy, and wisdom of the latest left-wing “children’s crusade” face accusations of “hating” the children. Refusing to acquiesce to their tears and protests is tantamount to letting them die.

Showing resilience and resolve in the face of horrific adversity deserves the highest praise and attention. Juvenile victim status, however, does not warrant absolute moral authority or the unfettered powers in the political arena that ideologically stunted law professors are so eager to bestow upon them.

It’s fine to listen, but do not let the children lead.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

Michelle Malkin is the senior editor of Conservative Review. She is a New York Times best-selling author and a FOX News Channel contributor.
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"Opinion Laundering in Parkland’s Wake" - by Kyle Smith, National Review, Feb.26, 2018; https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/02/opinion-laundering-in-parklands-wake/

#2224 (2/21) "Liar, Lunatic, Legend, or Lord?"

"LIAR, LUNATIC, LEGEND, OR LORD?"[Sign up for the J. Warner Wallace Short Course] - by John Stonestreet/Stan Guthrie, Breakpoint.org, Feb.15, 2018; http://www.breakpoint.org/2018/02/breakpoint-liar-lunatic-legend-lord/

If someone asked you whether we can really know who Jesus is and what He accomplished, could you give a convincing answer?

Well, Easter is just around the corner. And that means so are those annual TV specials and magazine articles that cast doubt on the biblical account of Jesus, wondering aloud whether he even existed or not. It’s amazing how many mainstream media outlets still posit that fringe theory as if there’s a serious, scholarly debate. There isn’t.

Even so, what are we going to do with this opportunity in front of us? Because that’s what it is…a great opportunity to tell friends and neighbors the truth about Jesus. After all, the events surrounding the life of Jesus, especially the crucifixion and the resurrection, either happened or they didn’t. We’re not talking about merely issues of personal belief; we’re talking about real events of history, and if they happened, change everything.

When Christians say that Christianity is true, we’re not saying that we think it’s true. Or that it’s true for us and not for “them.” Or that it’s true if you believe. No, we mean that it’s true whether you believe it or not. We mean that Christianity is just flat-out true: that Jesus actually lived, that you could have seen Him, that the crucifixion actually took place, that He really did rise from the dead.

Had you been there, you could’ve eaten the fish and loaves that were multiplied by Jesus from the little boy’s lunch. The water that Jesus walked on would have gotten you wet. And had you been in that upper room with Thomas, you could have seen the wounds on Jesus’ hands and placed your finger in His side.

These historical events are not just matters of personal faith; they’re matters of public truth. And you and I, especially in this cultural moment, have a responsibility, a task, a calling even, to articulate and defend these truths when called upon.

Now if you can’t, I’ve got some great news. You can learn to do this. I’m always troubled when Christians act as if there are not reasons that back up their faith. Folks, we live in the golden age of apologetics. And one of the most effective equippers of others is Colson Center Senior Fellow J. Warner Wallace.
     Wallace, who’s written such great books as Cold Case Christianity, God’s Crime Scene, and Forensic Faith, is offering an exclusive four-day online short course called “Jesus: Liar, Lunatic, Legend, or Lord?”
     The course begins next week on February 21, and will run for four consecutive Wednesday nights beginning each week at 8pm Eastern. If you enroll, you’ll receive a recording of the entire course to review again and again, even if you happen to miss one or more of the live sessions.

J. Warner Wallace’s first career was as a cold-case homicide detective. Today, he’s a best-selling author and nationally known speaker, who also serves as an adjunct professor of apologetics at Biola University. He knows his stuff, and he’s as good as it gets in equipping others to make the case for Christian truth. A former atheist himself, Wallace put Christianity to the test in an investigation that finally led to his conversion. And he had to face the same question we all hear every Easter: who is Jesus?  “Many faith traditions lay claim to famous religious leaders and founders,” Wallace says, “but Jesus is different… the New Testament leaves little room for doubt: Jesus claimed to be God and taught this truth to His followers.”

While the prophets usually said, “This is what the Lord says,” Jesus said, “I tell you the truth.” Wallace adds, “Prophets spoke for God, but Jesus consistently spoke as God. In addition, Jesus claimed God’s title, “I am,” and other significant characteristics of God—such as the ability to forgive sins.”

That’s what Jesus claimed, but the question is, was He telling the truth? Or maybe he was crazy. Or maybe the Gospel accounts are fairy tales. Or maybe…

Come to BreakPoint.org to sign up for this short course with J. Warner Wallace. Be prepared to make the case for Jesus this Easter. Take this opportunity to sign up for the short course with J. Warner Wallace. Click here to register and to find out more about this nationally known author and speaker.

[italics and colored emphasis mine]

RESOURCES- Colson Center presents J. Warner Wallace: "Liar, Lunatic, Legend, or Lord"
Webinar description and sign-up - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/colson-center-presents-j-warner-wallace-liar-lunatic-legend-or-lord-tickets-42788166558
"J. Warner Wallace: A Cold-Case Detective Weighs the Evidence for the Gospels" - John Stonestreet | BreakPoint.org podcast | January 8, 2018; http://www.breakpoint.org/2018/01/j-warner-wallace-a-cold-case-detective-weighs-the-evidence-for-the-gospels/
"Christmas is Christmas Because Jesus is God" - J. Warner Wallace | December 22, 2017; http://coldcasechristianity.com/2017/christmas-is-christmas-because-jesus-is-god/
"10 Reasons to Accept the Resurrection of Jesus as an Historical Fact" - Brian Chilton | Crossexamined.org | April 11, 2017; https://crossexamined.org/10-reasons-accept-resurrection-jesus-historical-fact/
Mere Christianity- C. S. Lewis | HarperOne - http://www.colsoncenterstore.org/Product.asp?sku=0060652888

#2232 (2/17) PRO-LIFE SAT: "Florida House Committee Passes Bill to Ban Dismemberment Abortions Tearing Off Babies’ Limbs"

"FLORIDA HOUSE COMMITTEE PASSES ILL TO BAN DISMEMBERMENT ABORTIONS TEARING OFF BABIES' LIMBS" - Micaiah Bilger, FEB 16, 2018| http://www.lifenews.com/2018/02/16/florida-house-committee-passes-bill-to-ban-dismemberment-abortions-tearing-off-babies-limbs/ [AS I SEE IT: It was seeing this horrid procedure about to be performed in a sonogram image that caused me iver 30 years ago to realize how abortion was not just a "political" issue but a truly evil practice that Christians esp. needed to oppose. That ANY group of people - in this case those of Planned Parenthood and NOW - could support such a procedure speaks to me of how these groups must be continually opposed as well. We (esp. those in Florida) need TO PRAY that this bill makes it to our pro-life Governor's desk ASAP. -Stan]

     Florida House lawmakers advanced a bill to protect unborn babies from brutal dismemberment abortions Thursday. [2/16] The Health and Human Services Committee approved the bill in a 13-6 vote, moving it to the full House for a vote, News 4 JAX reports.

Florida House Bill 1429 would prohibit the practice of dismemberment abortion, a method typically used in the second trimester to kill nearly fully-formed, living unborn babies. It is a barbaric and dangerous procedure in which the unborn baby is ripped apart in the womb and pulled out in pieces while his or her heart is beating. Abortionists who violate the law could face felony charges.

A similar bill is being considered in the state Senate.

Here’s more from the report: 
     “Often the process begins while the fetus is living, and fetal death occurs due to or as a result of the trauma caused by the procedure,” said Rep. Erin Grall, a Vero Beach Republican who is sponsoring the bill. She said the legislation, which has cleared two other House committees, “expresses respect for the dignity of life by prohibiting a physician from performing this brutal procedure and tortious dismemberment on a living fetus.”

But Barbara DeVane, representing the Florida National Organization of Women, opposed the bill and complained that some House members on previous committees had unfairly criticized the bill’s opponents. The abortion chain Planned Parenthood also is fighting against the bill.

During the committee hearing, Kathi Aultman, a former abortionist who now is pro-life, described the brutal way dismemberment abortions destroy unborn babies.
    “I support this bill because it prevents the infliction of needless pain and suffering on an innocent human being with only minor inconvenience to the mother and the abortionist,” she said.

A handful of states already have passed dismemberment abortion bans. In 2017, a federal judge blocked the Texas law, claiming it is unconstitutional. Planned Parenthood is involved in the lawsuit; however, the state is appealing.
     The law made Texas the eighth state to protect developing preborn children from such a heinous act. Earlier in 2017, Arkansas enacted the Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act joining Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and West Virginia.

The dismemberment abortion ban embodies model legislation from the National Right to Life Committee that would prohibit “dismemberment abortion,” using forceps, clamps, scissors or similar instruments on a living unborn baby to remove him or her from the womb in pieces. Such instruments typically are used in dilation and evacuation (D&E) procedures.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

#2231 (2/16) "Media Fawning Over North Korean Envoy Does No Favors for an Oppressed People"

"MEDIA FAWNING OVER NORTH KOREAN ENVOY DOES NO FAVORS FOR AN OPPRESSED PEOPLE" - Jarrett Stepman / @JarrettStepman / Feb. 12, 2018 / http://dailysignal.com/2018/02/12/media-fawning-north-korean-envoy-no-favors-oppressed-people/

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When North Korea announced it would be participating in this year’s winter Olympics in South Korea under a joint flag with the South, it was clear that some would attempt to “normalize” the regime. The speed at which the American media lapped up North Korean propaganda in the first weekend of the Olympics was stunning. Almost all of the major news networks and publications ran glowing profiles of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, who has attended the games. CNN, Reuters, and others jumped in on the North Korea love fest.

It’s amazing that the same media that is so quick to slam the Trump administration for attacks on the press has apparently been clamoring to show the sunny side of an actual autocracy that allows no press freedom at all.

A Pew study released in October showed that only 5 percent of media reports portrayed the Trump administration in a positive light during his first year in office. Kim Jong Un’s sister, who is the regime’s deputy director of propaganda, apparently merits better treatment.

Perhaps even worse than the glowing profiles, members of the media lambasted the few voices who called out the charade and labeled the North Korean state exactly what it is, an almost unfathomably ruthless dictatorship.
     A Washington Post columnist actually demanded that conservative commentator Bethany Mandel “apologize” to North Korea for calling it the most brutal regime in history.
    According to CNN, the “senior diplomatic source close to North Korea” said that Pence “degraded the image of the United States as a superpower” by meeting with North Korean defectors and Fred Warmbier. Fred Warmbier is the father of Otto Warmbier, an American student who was nabbed by the North Korean government, imprisoned for years, and was finally released in a comatose state, a result of his brutal treatment. Warmbier died shortly after returning to the U.S.

Plenty of ink’s been spilled about this shameless media fawning and anti-Americanism of the North Korean Olympics coverage. These sad overtures will do little to soften the brutal whip of oppression that exists in that Stalinistic relic of the 20th century.

Instead, we should follow the path of President Ronald Reagan at the end of the Cold War and point out the real victims in North Korea, and what the Kim dictatorship does to the poor souls who suffer under it. 
     One of the most profound moments in that half-century struggle was when Reagan stood in front of a microphone in 1983 and described the Soviet Union exactly as it was. Reagan said of the USSR in his so-called “Evil Empire” speech, “[W]hile they preach the supremacy of the state, declare its omnipotence over individual man, and predict its eventual domination of all peoples on the earth, they are the focus of evil in the modern world.”
     Predictably, the media castigated the speech as overly bombastic. Journalist Steve Talbot wrote for Time magazine on the eve of the 1984 Olympics that Reagan had “made a bad situation” regarding the Soviet Union worse “by challenging the legitimacy of the Soviet regime, calling the USSR an ‘evil empire’ doomed to fail.”
     But the dissidents buried deep in the Soviet gulags received the speech quite differently when word of it reached their ears. Natan Sharansky, a physicist who had been unjustly imprisoned and spent over a decade rotting in a Siberian prison, explained to The Weekly Standard in 2004 what a world-shaking moment the Reagan speech was for those living under the yoke of oppression. It is worth quoting him at length:
     "It was the great brilliant moment when we learned that Ronald Reagan had proclaimed the Soviet Union an evil empire before the entire world … This was the moment. It was the brightest, most glorious day. Finally a spade had been called a spade. Finally, [George] Orwell’s Newspeak was dead. President Reagan had from that moment made it impossible for anyone in the West to continue closing their eyes to the real nature of the Soviet Union."
     Less than a decade later, the Berlin Wall fell without a shot being fired, in no small part due to an administration’s willingness to confront oppression head on and rhetorically undermine the legitimacy of Soviet rule

The real hope for the people of North Korea is in American leaders, and in the free people of the world unequivocally calling out a monstrous evil when they see it. It is in showing those ignored by the sight of cameras and gaggles of reporters that they are not forgotten, and that the most powerful nation on earth is on their side.This is why it was so important for the vice president to meet with the father of an American killed by the North Korean regime, and for the president to host a North Korean defector, on crutches, at his State of the Union address. 

The words and actions of American leaders must serve as a rebuke and a stumbling block to tyranny, despite our media’s obnoxious and embarrassing paeans to dictators.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

Jarrett Stepman is an editor for The Daily Signal.

"Don’t Fall for North Korea’s Winter Olympics Trap" - Harry J. Kazianis / @grecianformula / February 08, 2018 / http://dailysignal.com/2018/02/08/dont-fall-north-koreas-winter-olympics-trap/
"Problematic Women: The Media’s Infatuation With Kim Jong Un’s Sister" - Ginny Montalbano / Feb. 15, 2018 / http://dailysignal.com/2018/02/15/problematic-women-the-medias-infatuation-with-kim-jong-uns-sister
"Who Was the Daring Defector Who Raised His Crutches High, Defying the Kim Regime During the State of the Union?" - Ryan Pickrell / @rwp2011 / February 01, 2018 / http://dailysignal.com/2018/02/01/who-was-the-daring-defector-who-raised-his-crutches-high-defying-the-kim-regime-during-the-state-of-the-union/
"What Is Life Really Like in North Korea? One Woman’s Story" - Chelsea Scism / @chescismlsea / July 28, 2015 / http://dailysignal.com/2015/07/28/escaped-refugee-hyeonseo-lee-reveals-what-life-is-like-in-north-korea/
"In 7 Tweets, the Media’s Strange, Glowing Coverage of North Korea at Olympics" - Lyndsey Fifield / @lyndseyfifield / Chrissy Clark / February 12, 2018 / http://dailysignal.com/2018/02/12/in-8-tweets-the-medias-strange-glowing-coverage-of-north-korea-at-olympics/

#2230 (2/15) "Polygamy, Robot Sex Are Consequences of the Sexual Revolution"

"POLYGAMY, ROBOT SEX ARE CONSEQUENCES OF THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION" - Bruce Ashford / @BruceAshford / February 13, 2018 / http://dailysignal.com/2018/02/13/polyamory-robot-sex-consequences-sexual-revolution/ [AS I SEE IT: I've long thought that our culture was going over the deep end in the "sexual revolution" but the extent to which people are doing truly bizarre things is stunning and so sad and scary. - Stan]

Recent media articles have shone the spotlight on polygamous and polyamorous relationships. (Photo: igor_kell/Getty Images)

Not for nothing, but the latest fruits of the sexual revolution are even more bizarre than most of us imagined. We knew things would get a little freaky, but maybe we didn’t know it would involve an upswing in polygamy, amorous activities with plastic women, or cuddling sessions with electric candelabra. But that is the state of affairs as we [note]Valentine’s Day this year.

We shouldn’t be surprised. When a society deifies sexual expression, it deifies a jealous god who will not be satisfied until every biological, social, and moral norm is overturned.

Consider the upswing in open marriages. In a recent edition of The Chronicle Review, Carrie Ichikawa Jenkins, a British-Canadian philosopher, argues that polygamy should be normalized. Jenkins practices polygamy (which she calls “polyamory”) with her husband, Jonathan Jenkins Ichikawa, and her boyfriend, Ray Hsu. Jenkins and her husband have been open about their polygamy since July 2011, shortly after their wedding. Jenkins notes that people are judgmental, “lecturing” her for taking part in something they consider unnatural and immoral.
     But Jenkins responds that polygamy is quite natural and moral. She argues that polygamy is the most natural relationship of all, as can be seen in the fact that very few animal species are monogamous. “Not even swans are monogamous,” she says. Not even swans.She argues that polygamy is a moral way of life, with open marriages consisting of nothing more than ethical individuals being faithful to their multiple true loves.

Or, consider the emergence of sexual love with multiple sex dolls. Recently, The Guardian ran a story on James, a 58-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia. James, it turns out, is married to a human woman, Tine, but is also the owner of four life-size silicon sweethearts. Two years ago, James’ wife left the home briefly to care for her ailing mother. Months later, she returned to find her husband surrounded by four new “ladies,” remarkable for their physical dimensions and their willingness to remain silent.
     In short order, she learned that James had been “dating” the robots—taking them for picnics, watching television together, and engaging in, er, nocturnal activities with them. James’ plastic princesses are the fruit of an emerging industry of animatronic, AI-enabled silicon sexbots. These sexbots are custom-made, complete with silicon body parts, heating and lubrication systems, and changing facial expressions.

The idea of sex robots is not new. In 2007, futurist David Levy published “Love and Sex with Robots,” in which he argued that robotic love would soon be embraced in the West. In a recent interview, Levy argued that robotic love has many merits, as it could make prostitution obsolete, teach humans a greater variety of lovemaking positions, and provide pedophiles an outlet for their desire. “Look. One has to accept that sexual mores advance with time, and morality with it,” Levy said in a recent interview. “Nothing can be ruled out.”

Finally, consider the curious case of erotic love with multiple light fixtures. Recently, Inside Edition ran a story on Amanda Liberty, 33, of Leeds, England, who “married” her favorite chandelier. Liberty, who identifies as objectum sexual, says she just “knew” she would marry “Lumiere” the moment she first saw “her” on eBay last year. In spite of the marriage, Liberty remains in an open relationship with her collection of more than 20 other lighting fixtures. "None of my chandeliers are jealous of each other. They understand that I love them all for their different personalities. For example, I love kissing and cuddling Lumiere, but I sleep with Jewel every night, as she is portable and very nice to cuddle."

Relentlessly true to the inner logic of the sexual revolution, polygamy, sexbots, and object-sex are part of the relentless drive to redefine marriage, sex, and romantic love. We are hard-wired for sex, according to this logic, but society must not cast judgment on our choice of sexual union.
Other trends include Ivy League attempts to normalize sex with animals (bestiality) and dead people (necrophilia).

But make no mistake. These latest iterations of the sexual revolution are unnatural and immoral. Their public emergence might tell us what “is” happening culturally, but it cannot tell us what we “ought” to do.
    For the “ought,” we must turn, as our Founding Fathers did, to the Judeo-Christian view of humanity and sexuality. From it, we learn that God created human beings in his image and likeness, providing us with spiritual and moral guidance so that we could flourish and experience life’s goodness.
    Central to this moral guidance is the truth that marriage and family are the core social units of society. Together they form the most important context in which children are shaped to understand themselves and their relationship with the world.

So, on Valentine’s Day this year, let’s make clear to our children and to society that marriage is between one man and one woman, and that any departure from that norm will leave us empty and pitiful in our attempts at sexual fulfillment.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

Bruce Ashford is provost and professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the co-author of “One Nation Under God: A Christian Hope for American Politics,” and blogs at “Christianity for the Common Good.

#2229 (2/14) "Ashes for Valentine’s Day - The Convergence of Eros and Agape"

"ASHES FOR VALENTINE'S  DAY - THE CONVERGENCE OF EROS AND AGAPE" - by John Stonestreet / Roberto Rivera; Breakpoint.org, Feb. 14, 2018;
http://www.breakpoint.org/2018/02/breakpoint-ashes-valentines-day/

Isn’t it odd that today is both Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday? If you ask me, it’s a clear case of divine providence.

In A.D. 325 the Council of Nicaea decided that Easter would be celebrated the Sunday following the first full moon on or after the spring equinox. In other words, without going into too much detail, the date we celebrate Easter is the result of a sort of astronomical convergence. This year, there’s also a fascinating religious and cultural convergence on the calendar: Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day.

Are there two more culturally different days than Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday?
     The former is associated with flowers and candy; the last with dark smudges on people’s foreheads. On Valentine’s Day, people expect romance. On Ash Wednesday, it’s about repentance and self-denial. The words you need to remember on Valentine’s Day are “I love you.” But on Ash Wednesday, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return.”

These days just don’t seem to fit together, but that’s because we’ve forgotten the real history of Valentine’s Day. No, not the corporate creation of greeting card companies, but the day to remember the third-century Christian martyr: Valentinus of Rome.
     Not a lot is known about Valentinus, but the most-widely accepted version of his martyrdom is that he ran afoul of the emperor Claudius II. Claudius had prohibited marriage in Rome because he believed that “Roman men were unwilling to join the army because of their strong attachment to their wives and families.” Valentinus defied the emperor by marrying couples in secret. He was caught and executed on or about February 14.
    Whether the story happened exactly that way or not, every ancient reference to Valentinus associates him and February 14th with martyrdom and sacrifice. And that’s fitting for the observance of Lent, which also begins today.

Our culture’s view of love and romance is so twisted and dangerous, it only seems appropriate to celebrate this Valentine’s Day with repentance.

Now don’t get me wrong: romantic love, what C.S. Lewis called “Eros,” is not wrong. In fact it’s a gift from God. As Lewis wrote in The Four Loves, when rightly ordered, eros causes us to toss “personal happiness aside as a triviality and [plant] the interests of another in the center of our being.” Romantic love can be, as Lewis put it, “a foretaste, of what we must become to all if Love Himself rules in us without a rival.”

And that’s the proper place of eros … not as an end in and of itself, but as a means—something that points beyond itself—and points our hearts beyond ourselves to a higher love, agape, a love that only comes from God Himself.
     Lent turns our focus to that total self-giving love of God, that love that caused God to become man and live and die as one of us, for our sakes, despite our sin and rebellion.

The sexual revolution has, in so many ways, disordered eros, treating it as an end, not a means. But twisted eros is no longer selfless and life-giving. It becomes a sort of mutant sensuality, that creates the selfish and damaging brokenness our culture is being forced to reckon with this year [ie, the many scandals involving sexual abuse].

Today, Ash Wednesday, reminds us that there’s more… more to life than sensual pleasures, more to love than the shriveled-up version that has captivated our Western imaginations.
     So today, ask yourself, “how am I responding to so great an expression of love as what God has shown us?” Valentinus’s response was to give up his own life.
    For us too, a kind of “death” is required—a death to self, a death to the desires that our culture treats as ultimate.

Now of course guys, none of this lets you off the hook with your wives. So don’t forget the flowers.

[italics and colored emphasis mine]

RESOUCES - Ash Wednesday  reminds us of the sacrificial love Christ displayed for us, while Valentine’s Day reminds us to be sacrificial in our love one for another. Let the convergence of these two days motivate us to repentance and self-giving love.
"St. Valentine Beheaded" - This Day in History: February 14 | History.com - http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/st-valentine-beheaded
The Four Loves- C. S. Lewis | HarperOne - http://www.colsoncenterstore.org/Product.asp?sku=9780062565396

#2228 (2/13) "America’s Reversal on [Homosexual] “Marriage"

"AMERICA'S REVERSAL ON [HOMOSEXUAL] MARRIAGE" - by John Stonestreet/G. Shane Morris; Breakpoint.org, Feb.12, 2018; http://www.breakpoint.org/2018/02/breakpoint-americas-reversal-on-gay-marriage/ [AS I SEE IT: First of all, let's be clear that despite what "the polls" say, there is still a substantial number of Americans who do not accept homosexual marriage as correct. It is tempting - and therefore very wrong - to throw up our hands and just say " I give up" when we hear of the recent polls noted in this article. We need to remember that TRUTH never changes, no matter what polls or the culture ( ie., Hollywood, the Media, and academia) might say. As this article challenges, we must persevere in standing for what's True and helping those deceived to know it. - Stan]

The fight over same-sex “marriage” already seems like a distant memory. But the way it was fought is the mother of all worldview lessons.

According to recent surveys, Americans—especially younger generations—are more supportive of gay “marriage” than ever before. One Gallup poll revealed that a strong majority—64 percent—approve of the rights invented and bestowed on same-sex couples by the Supreme Court in the Obergefell decision. And the Barna Group recently reported that teenagers today are at least twice as likely as American adults to identify as LGBT.

All of this, despite the fact that in 2011, a vast majority of U.S. states had defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman. How could it be that, in just the next four years, state after state would strike down those marriage amendments, public opinion would shift by ten points and finally, in 2015, the Obergefell decision would make everything official?

At least part of the answer is found in how entertainment reshaped our collective imaginations. From “Will and Grace,” to “Glee,” to “Modern Family,” Hollywood spent years, and millions, portraying homosexuality as funny, normal, natural, and even wholesome.

Around the same time, in another sphere of culture, politicians like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton “evolved” on the issue, and their base—which was already largely pro-gay—responded with a fast and radical leftward swing.

In a cultural moment, political liberals went from tolerating disagreement on marriage to demonizing anyone who still affirmed “one-man-one-woman,” as bigoted, hateful, homophobes.

Business, too, played a major role in this shift. The success of the Human Rights Campaign in pressuring companies to actively promote LGBT causes is, well, incredible. And government leadership in state after state, with rare exceptions like North Carolina, caved to the corporate financial leverages that were being threatened against them.

But decades before all that happened in entertainment, politics, and business, there was something else that made same-sex “marriage” basically inevitable: the formal divorce of marriage and procreation.

As University of Texas sociologist Mark Regnerus has convincingly argued, “the pill” alone was enough to sever the link between sex and procreation, changing how Americans thought about love and marriage. No longer did those two things necessarily lead to that “baby in the baby carriage.” Protestants, evangelicals, and the Catholic laity mostly accepted that change without a peep of protest.

The divorce of marriage and procreation led to all kinds of unintended consequences. Marriage was popularly transformed from being a nest for children to being an expression of adult feelings. And once it was no longer “about the children,” “no-fault divorce” legally redefine marriage in the law.

Fast forward a few decades, removing any remaining stigmas on sexual behavior, and then terms like “husband and wife,” “mother” and “father,” and ultimately, “male and female” lost their defining power. Same-sex unions were then just a very short step away.

Which brings us to today and the news that an up-and-coming generation may be the most pro-LGBT in history. Those of us who believe in God’s design for sex face a daunting task. Reversing Obergefell and rebuilding the shattered consensus on natural marriage won’t happen quickly. But here’s what we can do…

First, we can help our children understand what went wrong, especially the wrong ideas about sex, marriage, happiness, and procreation that permeate our society. Second, we can help them know what’s right about God’s design for marriage, sex, and procreation.

But remember, this battle was lost, not by argument, but in the imagination. And so we must embody God’s design in our marriages and in our communities.

And finally, we should repent of the ways in which we embraced the deadly wrong ideas of this social revolution.


[italics and colored emphasis mine]

RESOURCES - John has called believers to repent from a casual acceptance of the sexual revolution’s ideology, and has encouraged us to embody God’s design in our own marriages. Teach your children the truth for marriage, sex, and procreation, and be an example in your families and communities.
"Get Ready, Youth Group Leaders: Teens Twice as Likely to Identify as Atheist or LGBT" -  Kate Shellnutt | Christianity Today | Jan. 23, 2018; http://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2018/january/youth-group-leaders-generation-z-atheist-lgbt-teens-barna.html
"In U.S., More Adults Identifying as LGBT" - Gallup News | Jan. 11, 2017; http://news.gallup.com/poll/201731/lgbt-identification-rises.aspx
Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God's Design for Marriage - John Stonestreet, Josh McDowell | Baker Publishing | July 2014 - http://www.colsoncenterstore.org/Product.asp?sku=2191_9780801018343
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"The Sex-Change Revolution Is Based on Ideology, Not Science" - Ryan T. Anderson / @RyanTAnd / January 22, 2018 / http://dailysignal.com/2018/01/22/the-sex-change-revolution-is-based-on-ideology-not-science/

#2227 (2/12) "The Dawn of a New Budget"

"THE DAWN OF A NEW BUDGET" - Tony Perkins, Washington Watch, Feb. 09, 2018; http://www.frc.org/updatearticle/20180209/dawn-budget [AS I SEE IT: I honestly don't know how tragic it would have been for the government to have been forced to shut down for an extended time, if the hurt it would have meant for many would have been small compared to the harm this budget adds to our out of control federal deficit. (see attached link). Only time will tell just how much this was worth it all. Meanwhile, I agree with the sentiments expressed at the end of the article that we need more leaders who have the courage to make the hard choices needed to control our national spending. I recently started to pray for this year's mid-term elections and I invite you to join me.  Maybe we'll never have the leaders we need but we'll never know unless we invite God to guide the American people to make the right choices when they vote. - Stan]

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      It was over almost as soon as it began, but this morning's government shutdown still happened. While most Americans were counting Zzzs, congressional Republicans were counting votes. And, in a tense debate over the new budget, they didn't have them. The midnight deadline came and went, with members doing everything they could to jump start the government before rush hour. The internal battle between defense hawks and fiscal conservatives lasted until dawn, when the House and Senate's compromise finally passed in enough time to take a 5:00 a.m. trip to the White House for the president's signature.

Although the agreement keeps the government running through March 23, neither side was thrilled with the $320 billion package. The deal is particularly significant because it sets the spending caps for military and nondefense spending over the next two years. Conservatives, most vocally the House Freedom Caucus, were frustrated by the GOP's refusal to cut costs. "We support funding our troops but growing the size of government by 13 percent is not what the voters sent us here to do," the group tweeted.

Leaders like Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) struggled to come to grips with the steep costs. Like a lot of Republicans, he thought conservatives could do better.
    "This budget deal shows the American people exactly how broken our budget and appropriations process is," he said. "It does not address our runaway deficits and actually takes major steps backwards in the fight to reign in Washington's overspending appetite. Our budget process has only worked correctly four times since 1974. We desperately need budget reform. I'm ashamed that we have passed five continuing resolutions since the end of last Fiscal Year in September. This is no way to govern."
    "While I strongly support the budgetary certainty and increased military funding that this bill provides, the long-term negative consequences of the bill are too many. The prevailing theme of debt ceiling negotiations is usually avoiding default, but lost in the conversation is how we got here in the first place, and how we can get out of the cycle of deficit spending."

Good, solid conservatives voted both ways on the bill. Many of our friends probably found themselves on the opposite sides of the roll call for the first time in a long time. As difficult as the details were to swallow, President Trump and others did cheer the $165 billion bump for our troops, which finally ended the long, painful days of sequestration. "Without more Republicans in Congress," he tweeted, "we were forced to increase spending on things we do not like or want in order to finally, after many years of depletion, take care of our Military. Sadly, we needed some Dem votes for passage. Must elect more Republicans in 2018 Election!"

As for other silver linings, FRC was pleased to see the religious liberty protections for FEMA disaster assistance included, as well as a big boost in sexual risk avoidance (abstinence) dollars ($75 million a year for two years), an extension of the funding for community health centers that don't perform abortions, a repeal of the Independent Payment Advisory Board death panels, and major cuts to the Obamacare slush fund.

I would agree with President Trump with one caveat: we need to elect more conservative Republicans. We need leaders who are willing to go toe-to-toe with the liberals who have pushed America to the verge of fiscal and moral bankruptcy until we prevail.

[italics and colored emphasis mine]
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"5 Things to Know About Congress’ Latest Budget-Busting Deal" - Justin Bogie / @JustinBogie / February 07, 2018 / http://dailysignal.com/2018/02/07/5-things-know-congresss-latest-budget-busting-deal

#2226 (2/11) Need Your Sponsorship!; "The Role Faith Must Play In America’s Future"

"THE ROLE FAITH MUST PLAY IN AMERICA'S FUTURE Future"- Lea Carawan / Jan. 12, 2018 / http://dailysignal.com/2018/01/12/role-faith-must-play-americas-future/

National Religious Freedom Day will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 16. (Photo: iStock Photos)

Does faith matter anymore in America? Should it?
    That probably depends on who you ask, but what is becoming increasingly evident is a growing hostility among some segments of society and culture.

[Two months ago], much of our nation celebrated the birth of Christ—called Christmas, short for Christ’s Mass—yet, the idea of any public display for a clearly religious holiday is somehow considered insensitive, discriminating, or criminal. One begins to wonder if even saying “God Bless you” after a sneeze might somehow generate formal complaints and a lawsuit to stop such egregious behavior. Sounds like nonsense, doesn’t it? Sadly, it’s not.
    Religious expression in the marketplace of ideas is not an automatic religious endorsement by the government, though this remains a loud, but hollow, cry among many who would deny those rights if given the power to do so.

When our nation was established, the idea of “self-government under God” was a prevailing theme. Today, it feels more like an increasingly intrusive government without God.
    Teachers, football coaches, counselors, city and county officials, our men and women in uniform, chaplains, students, and even government officials are being reprimanded for acknowledging God or Jesus Christ in almost any public forum.
    Business owners—photographers, bakers, florists, and others—are being sued, some even closing their doors, for simply adhering to their values, beliefs, and their rights of conscience in an honorable fashion.

Millions of citizens are rising up to say “enough” and declare that they still want to “keep faith in America.” Millions of people in this country continue to pray and place a heartfelt trust in God. This simple act of humble faith has given America strength in wartime, dignity and compassion toward those less fortunate, and confidence in the face of unprecedented challenges.

For so many, faith matters, faith makes a difference, faith brings with it a renewed sense of hope for a better future. Thankfully, this certainty is finding its way back into the hearts, conversations, and actions of everyday Americans.

Throughout U.S. history, prayers of petition and thanksgiving have been lifted up by state and national leaders—to embrace our grief and sorrow, for our troops and first responders in harm’s way, in times of uncertainty and chaos, during global crises, for protection, provision, guidance, and the acknowledgement that in and of ourselves, we are wholly insufficient.

These cherished values are derived from principles deeply woven into the very fabric of our founding documents—the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights—and through the legacy and dedication of the men and women who helped build and shape this country.The only way to preserve their sacrifice is to boldly move forward with courage and determination, and to walk out what we know to be true.

This legacy also speaks to why millions more have immigrated to our shores over the past three centuries and why countless others have risked everything to preserve our Judeo-Christian heritage.Are these realities only because the United States is viewed as a “land of opportunity,” a global superpower, a place where dreams can come true? Or is it as the Pledge of Allegiance acknowledges, that we are “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”?

Americans have long viewed freedom as a core longing given by the creator in his design of man and a primary reason that religious liberty was established as a leading principle in our nation’s founding. The freedom to choose what and who you believe in, as well as matters of conscience, is among the most basic and fundamental rights afforded to every citizen. Faith and freedom may not have been born together, but their marriage built America, and divorcing the two would ultimately lead to its demise.

Unfortunately, the fabric of this wonderful tapestry is fraying, and in many places is now being torn apart. Religious leaders across America have been concerned about the moral and spiritual decline we are seeing in the country, including the lack of respect and civility that exists in our national discourse.
   Polarized and entrenched positions, angry rhetoric, and other signs of acrimony reveal the growing loss of decency and tolerance on all sides. And yet, faith still matters. It still has a role to play in the days ahead. We must keep faith in America.

On Jan. 16, National Religious Freedom Day, thousands of people from all walks of life [jointed] together in a powerful show of unity to raise their voices and launch the “Keep Faith in America” movement.
    They were joined by numerous federal and state legislators, governors, celebrities, and faith leaders who are uniting to help ensure that prayer, God, faith, and the Bible continue to represent an important guiding influence in America’s future—a movement dedicated to promoting freedom and civility, and to reduce the bitter animosity infecting nearly every part of our national psyche.
   Things kick off on the 16th at events across the United States and in 30 state capitols nationwide. Interested individuals can be part of the initial launch through a first-of-its-kind nationally broadcasted Facebook Live event that could potentially reach millions of people throughout the world.

In the following months, there will be a focus on other critically important segments of society, including churches and clergy members, colleges and universities, local governments, and school boards. Some of the most recognized and respected faith leaders in America are uniting to make a difference and reach into every sphere of influence in today’s culture.

Now, more than ever, there is a need to affirm that faith and trust in the creator remain vital to our national well-being. He was understood as the God of the Bible, which was given to help guide our decision-making, our governance as a people, to protect religious liberty, and to live before others with humility and Christian love.

Believers should be leading the way when it comes to engaging society and culture with greater civility, focusing their efforts to reduce harmful divisions. Faith is the key in the days ahead, and it must move beyond a well-crafted sermon and become faith in action.

The Keep Faith in America movement is a renewal of hope. [www.KeepFaithInAmerica.com.]
The goal is to first stand together, then pray together, and finally, to move forward together.

Stand. Pray. Move. This is about a renewed hope, a strengthened resolve, a sharpened focus, a bold declaration, and an energized movement.

[italics and colored emphasis mine]

Lea Carawan is the executive director for the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation.

#2225 (2/10) PRO-LIFE SAT: "Meet Lucas, the Adorable New Gerber Baby With Down Syndrome"

"MEET LUCAS, THE ADORABLE NEW GERBER BABY WITH DOWN SYNDROME" - Leah Barkoukis : Feb 08, 2018; https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2018/02/08/new-gerber-baby-has-down-syndrome-n2446213

The 2018 Gerber baby meets all the usual criteria to be a winner—namely, being adorable and happy—but 1-year-old Lucas Warren stands out for another reason: He’s the first child with Down syndrome to be selected as the “Gerber Spokesbaby.”

ADORABLE: The winning smile goes to 18-month-old Lucas Warren, the first baby with Down syndrome to be awarded first place for the Gerber baby contest in its 91-year history. http://fxn.ws/2BgQdQj 

Warren, who’s from Dalton, Georgia, won the distinction from more than 140,000 photos that were submitted from parents across the country. His mother, Cortney Warren, submitted a photo of him wearing a green shirt, polka dot tie, and with a huge grin on his face. That smile was what caught the company’s eye. “Every year, we choose the baby who best exemplifies Gerber’s long-standing heritage of recognizing that every baby is a Gerber baby,” said Bill Partyka, chief executive and president of Gerber. “This year, Lucas is the perfect fit.”

In a world where far too many people and countries (like Iceland) don’t believe in the value of every human life, Gerber’s decision should be celebrated. Many parents, particularly those who have children with Down syndrome, did just that. 
    “In a puddle of tears over here…my mama heart is so so thankful…when Bodie was born I believed a lie, that others would not value him as much as I do. But, today is a new day. It is such a beautiful, good day,” Instagram user samanthajob wrote. 
     Another user, catfishwithketchup, commented on Warren’s Instagram photo: “My older sister has Down syndrome and she inspired my husband and I to start our family by adopting a baby with Down syndrome. That baby is almost 8 now and I’m so optimistic for her future opportunities thanks to initiatives like this. Thank you for celebrating the diversity of the human condition! He’s gorgeous! Awesome selection!”
    Warren’s father, Jason Warren, was hopeful his son’s new role as Gerber Spokesbaby will bring increased awareness and acceptance of people with Down syndrome. “We’re hoping this will impact everyone — that it will shed a little bit of light on the special needs community and help more individuals with special needs be accepted and not limited,” he told “Today.” “They have the potential to change the world, just like everybody else.”

Obianuju Ekeocha ✔
@obianuju - I’m so glad that everyone is celebrating Lucas- the first Gerber baby with Down syndrome. But the elephant in the room is that in many western countries unborn babies with Down Syndrome are being detected by tests & most are killed. #GenocideInTheWomb 

590 people are talking about this - “He may have Down syndrome, but he’s always Lucas first,” his mother told “Today.” “He’s got an awesome personality, and he goes through the milestones of every child. .?.?. We’re hoping when he grows up and looks back on this, he’ll be proud of himself and not ashamed of his disability.”

Bravo, Gerber.

[italics and colored emphasis mine]

"New Gerber Baby is a Little Boy With Down Syndrome" - Wesley Smith, Feb.7, 2018| http://www.lifenews.com/2018/02/07/new-gerber-baby-is-a-little-boy-with-down-syndrome/
... This is excellent, a very visible and enthusiastic support for human exceptionalism and equal moral worth.  This years’s “Gerber Baby” has Down syndrome. From the Today story: The 2018 Gerber baby is Lucas Warren, a 1-year-old from Dalton, Georgia who is the first child with Down syndrome to be named a Gerber baby since the contest’s start in 2010. “He’s very outgoing and never meets a stranger,” Lucas’s mom, Cortney, told TODAY Parents. “He loves to play, loves to laugh and loves to make other people laugh.”

Don’t tell Iceland. That country has wiped babies with Down off their territory through a pogrom of eugenic abortion targeting fetuses with that condition.

Don’t tell France. That country refused to permit a Down syndrome support organization run a TV ad extolling the joys of raising a Down child because it could make women who aborted Down fetuses feel guilty.

Don’t tell Peter Singer of Princeton. He has advocated the propriety of infanticide of Down syndrome infants–e.g. post-birth abortion.

Do applaud Gerber for making an all-too-rare very positive statement about the inherent value of people with Down.

[italics and colored emphasis mine]

LifeNews.com Note: Wesley J. Smith, J.D., is a special consultant to the Center for Bioethics and Culture and a bioethics attorney who blogs at Human Exeptionalism. 

#2224 (2/9) "What Lies Behind North Korea’s ‘Charm Offensive’ at the Olympics"

"WHAT LIES BEHIND NORTH KOREA'S 'CHARM OFFENSIVE' AT THE OLYMPICS" - Bruce Klingner / February 08, 2018 / http://dailysignal.com/2018/02/08/north-koreas-charm-offensive-at-olympics

Kim Il Guk, president of the North Korean Olympic Committee, second from left, poses for a photo with other officials involved in planning the Winter Olympics, Jan. 20, 2018. (Photo: Kyodo/Newscom)

The Winter Olympics open on Friday with North and South Korean athletes marching together behind a single Korean unification flag, rather than their respective national flags. The moment will be emotionally uplifting, raising hopes of reconciliation and reduced tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The presence at the games of Vice President Mike Pence, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un’s high-ranking sister, Kim Yo Jong, and North Korea’s ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong Nam, has generated speculation of a bilateral meeting just below the leadership level.Washington has been coy about the possibility, saying only, “We’ll see what happens.”

But the Korean landscape is strewn with the shattered remnants of previous attempts to use sporting or cultural events to create a path for diplomatic progress.
     The 2000 Sydney Olympics provided a similar joint march-in of the Koreas, the 2008 New York Philharmonic concert in Pyongyang, and the 2014 Asian Games in South Korea are just a few of the previous attempts to use sports or music to soothe the savage beast.

Pyongyang’s decision to reschedule a massive military parade to Feb. 8, the day before the Olympics’ opening ceremonies, does not bode well for improving the diplomatic atmosphere.
During last year’s parade, the regime unveiled numerous new offensive missile systems, and it is expected that several intercontinental ballistic missiles will be displayed this week.
     During his annual New Year’s Day speech, Kim Jong Un claimed completion of North Korea’s ICBM program and boasted that he now possesses “a powerful and reliable war deterrent” that puts the “whole of [the U.S.] mainland within the range of our nuclear strike.”
     The juxtaposition of North Korea’s military and Olympics parades signals Pyongyang’s intent to simultaneously demonstrate that it is a formidable military force to be feared but, if accepted as a nuclear state, is also prepared to re-engage the international community on its terms. The regime will show it is a fearsome tiger one day, but a cute and cuddly kitten the next.
     Pyongyang hopes that the image of South Korea embracing the North during the games will weaken international support for U.N. sanctions. After all, if Seoul can overlook the military threat just north of the demilitarized zone, why is Washington working so hard to isolate the regime?

North Korea cleverly included sanctioned entities in its Olympics entourage. Kim’s sister was sanctioned by the U.S. for human rights violations, and the North Korean cultural troupe will be transported via the sanctioned Mangyongbong-92 ferry. In both cases, Seoul acted on Pyongyang’s behalf by having to ask for an exemption to international sanctions.

Indeed, it is the fear of a successful North Korean propaganda gambit that motivated the U.S. vice president’s attendance. Pence has “grave concerns that Kim will hijack the messaging around the Olympics” and seeks to offset the “charade.”
    Lest any potential meeting between Kim Jong Un’s sister and Pence be seen as a potential breakthrough, the vice president announced en route that the U.S. plans to unveil the “toughest and most aggressive” sanctions yet against North Korea. 
    To drive home the administration’s message, Pence will meet with North Korean defectors while in South Korea and be accompanied by the father of Otto Warmbier, the American college student who was brutalized during North Korean captivity and died shortly after his release.
The image of Warmbier’s grief-stricken parents during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address provided a heart-rending indictment of the true nature of the North Korean regime.

If Kim Yo Jong brings a message of Korean reconciliation from her brother, South Korean President Moon Jae-in will be tempted to offer additional concessions, including further postponing of annual military exercises with U.S. forces. Senior South Korean officials affirmed to me in Seoul that the exercises would not be canceled, but Pyongyang has warned that resumption of exercises threatens to quash improving inter-Korean relations.

While the Olympics will provide a welcome respite from escalating tensions, it is likely to be short-lived. Moreover, it will take careful alliance management in Seoul and Washington to prevent North Korea’s “charm offensive” from amplifying bilateral policy differences and driving a wedge between the allies.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow for Northeast Asia at The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center, spent 20 years in the intelligence community working at the CIA and Defense Intelligence Agency. Read his research

#2223 (2/8) "A Tale Of Two Leaders"

"A TALE OF TWO LEADERS" - Kevin McCullough: Feb 07, 2018; https://townhall.com/columnists/kevinmccullough/2018/02/07/a-tale-of-two-leaders-n2445913

Prepping for my radio show on Wednesday the contrast could not have been more clear. As I sat in my studio with the wall-sized monitor behind me lit with the rapidly changing headlines of the day I could not help but be struck by the divide playing out in the day’s news cycle.

In the James S. Brady press briefing room at the White House, Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis looked anything but a former fierce general with a flare for sometimes going off script and routing his enemies by mere intimidation. In fact his tone and pleas much more conversational and pleasant, simply, quietly, without much fanfare, was making his case for the prioritization of funding for the military.

He discussed how such budget uncertainty has an effect on troop morale. He was asked about and answered how yet another shutdown would impact operations. He pledged to spend the money with the greatest discernment and stewardship possible. He put forward the needs the military currently faces. He went long on the need to revamp our nuclear arsenal. He spoke bluntly about the need for our enemies not to miscalculate our capacity. In short it should have been something every American — who desires to see and keep us strong — should’ve been sympathetic to.

On the other side of the mall Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat minority leader in the House, was filibustering for a number of hours on why no such spending allowances should go through. They shouldn’t, she argued, unless we gave in to her demands for allowing 700,000-3,000,000 non-citizens to stay in America, gain full benefits of American life, and even become U.S. citizens. She argued for this even though each of these individuals have had the chance for numbers of years to begin the citizenship process and for many could have completed it long before now—but for some reason chose not to.

Here just two weeks since the last shutdown, a Democrat leader was holding court threatening the needed funding for our military—and funding that her colleague in the U.S. Senate had already agreed to—unless her pet project of DACA be completely agreed to and adopted post haste.

Whether or not such stunts are ever successful is always a debate for historians and professors.
The assessment I take away from it is one that fundamentally speaks to our greatness as a nation. Why?

Because America as an experiment is big enough for really competent, calm, and level headed leaders—sometimes ones who’ve even literally made our enemies sweat their own deaths—to go to the people directly and explain why we should be especially focused on approving the funding for our nation’s defense. America can also absorb the caged-hamster-act that Ms. Pelosi pulled and realize that she’s actively defending the supposed “rights” of people she doesn’t even technically have the capacity to represent.

The hardship stories are a dime a dozen in the DACA crowd. Every person reading this likely knows people here illegally, and even feels for their future and may even really want to see them succeed and become an American citizen. But that debate is a debate to be had at the time and place when the people’s elected leaders set it. (Leadership in both the House and the Senate have pledged to deal with DACA and bring reform for a vote to the larger bodies.)

The left keeps attempting to short circuit that process. They keep trying end-arounds hoping to get the permanent fix they want (zero deportations, automatic citizenship, and immediate voter enrollment into the Democratic Party.)

Meanwhile effective public servants like Secretary Mattis are staring down ISIS in Syria and Iran, the Taliban in Afghanistan, mullahs that are out of control in Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas in the West Bank & Gaza, a fool in North Korea who wants to bring about a nuclear incident, and an ever growing threat from Russia and China over territory, currencies, gold and oil. 

While Nancy Pelosi plays “Ms. Smith Goes To Washington” (for people who aren’t Americans,) actual American heroes are trying to protect us from the next cataclysmic encounter if we can show enough strength to stave it off.

Pelosi pretends to be doing her job. Mattis is just asking the government and our elected leaders to give him the tools to genuinely do his. And while she will get paid if another shutdown occurs, he will have to notify active duty non-tour troops that they may miss a check or two.

As the ones who employ both it’s on us to make sure that we effectively set the right priorities for them, so that there is no misunderstanding as to why it was more urgent to fund our military than to give extended benefits and citizenship to those who could’ve cared for that on their own all along.

It’s time to choose.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

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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 in His perfect time and for His greatest glory. Intercession is the greatest privilege and responsibility for EVERY believer." - Stan 

“INTERCESSORS ARE THE RUDDER” – A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT - Wanda Alger, June 28th, 2017; https://www.getamericapraying.com/blog/

I was recently given a word by my good friend, Bill Yount. His word greatly encouraged me as an intercessor. Working for Intercessors for America, I soon realized it was not just a word for me, but for all who have been praying for our nation, wondering if their prayers are truly making any difference. Bill told me, “I kept seeing you as a small rudder on a huge ship. Hidden, but giving guidance. Although it seemed slow it was turning the whole ship. Patience was needed to see the impact of your…ministry. I sense the Lord saying, ‘Don’t jump ship! I’ve made you the rudder!’ ” I was immediately touched in my spirit by this encouragement, knowing that our seemingly small place in prayer was having a great impact.

James 3:4 talks about the power of a small rudder to steer a large ship. In this scripture about the power of our tongue, consider the power of prophetic intercession! In the Forerunner Commentary on this verse we read, “…rudders manipulate the course of immense ocean vessels with a slight movement of a pilot’s hand. Since it is underwater and aft, the rudder of a ship does its work UNSEEN. A passenger is ignorant of its movements most of the time. Yet, when it is in proper working order, the rudder holds more power over the ship than the wind. The wind will blow, toss, even destroy the ship’s rigging, but the rudder guides the ship exactly where it directs.”

This is God’s promise to the intercessors in this hour of national turbulence. Don’t stop praying! Your prayers have great power to turn the ship! Continue praying, interceding, and discerning the workings and movements of the Holy Spirit, being faithful to God’s commands. As we come together to declare God’s faithfulness, this nation will, once again, head in the direction that God intends. Don’t give up and don’t give in. Regardless of the winds of adversity and the fires of the enemy, God’s people have a power that cannot be matched. Let us join in faith and continue to pray and speak of God’s faithfulness in order to bring God’s people and this nation into the fullness of God’s plans. Note this additional encouragement from God’s word:

Colossians 2:15 – “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (ESV). 

Psalm 33:8-11 – “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” 

Wanda Alger, IFA Field Correspondent

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!"

PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS:  1) Pray for President Trump and his advisers, that they would select Godly leaders at the federal level who will be accountable to do an excellent job (or be fired!) ; that he would seek God's wisdom and be enabled to lead our country effectively in the years ahead; and 2) Pray our leaders at every level of government will 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.

SUPREME COURT: PRAY that the justices will only hand down decisions that are Constitutionally sound and in the best interests of our country now and for future generations.

World-Wide Prayer Requests:

1/1 - PRAISE GOD for the continuing recent successes against ISIS! Pray that coalition forces will be able to  fully destroy the leadership and infrastructure of ISIS.
*For believers in Syria and in this region as they navigate so much uncertainty. May they remain faithful to God through these most difficult times as He sustains them with peace and endurance. 

Praying Through the Open Doors World Watch List for persecuted believers:To learn more, please go to -  - https://www.opendoorsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/28385-PFA.pdf; 
February 8 | MYANMAR - Amod* is a part of the Rohingya people group, a group well-known for refugee status. Being a Christian in a mostly Muslim people group caused him to flee quickly and alone. Pray for him to continue to be built up in the faith.
*Names changed for security purposes.

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STANDING STRONG THROUGH THE STORM - OpenDoorsUSA.org

At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.  2 Tim.y 4:16                                                 

SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO SUFFER

The Apostle Paul knew exactly what it was like to be alone, to be deserted by all who called themselves “brothers” and “sisters.” A former colleague who has done considerable travel among the persecuted says, “It is hard to believe that Christians are the largest persecuted group in the world today. But it is even more difficult to believe that this is so seldom mentioned in our gatherings and church services. More Christians know the names of their favorite actors than their fellow believers who are in prison.”

He continues, “With every trip something in my heart breaks as I hear the echoes of suffering:

I remember the echoes of an Egyptian mother as she shared how her young boy was stuck in a haystack because she refused to deny Jesus.

I remember the sounds of weeping as fellow students in Indonesia shared how Sariman, their co-student, was hacked to death.

I remember the cries of anguish as we walked from church to church that was burned to the ground on the island of Lombok.

I remember the tears of Rebecca in Iran as she showed the picture of her father who was stabbed to death for sharing the gospel.

I remember the voice of Pastor Daniel in Vietnam as he shared how he was chained to the ground for six months.

I remember the fear of Grace from Sudan as she shared how her church was attacked and her friend was shot through the head.

Oh, I remember the cries of Caleb in Eritrea as he shared with tears how two dear friends were executed in front of him because of their faith.

And I remember the tears of Joy in the southern Philippines as she shared how her fiancé was shot to death in their church in Mindanao.

But, most all, I remember the deafening sounds of silence every time I return home.

RESPONSE

How can I be silent today? How can I not speak on behalf of those who suffer? How can I desert those that belong to the same body that I belong to and who desperately need the encouragement of my intervention on their behalf?

PRAYER
Lord, broaden my awareness of the needs of my suffering brothers and sisters. May I not be known for my silence.