To President Obama's legacy of foreign policy debacles, we can now add his landmark betrayal of Israel, carried out Dec. 23rd at the United Nations. By declining to wield the U.S. veto at the Security Council, by choosing instead to abstain -- by Vanishing-from-Behind -- Obama allowed the passage, by a vote of 14 in favor, 1 abstaining, of Resolution 2334. In the guise of condemning Israeli settlements, this resolution is configured to delegitimize and imperil Israel itself, America's longtime ally and the only democracy in the Middle East.Read the rest.
With that signal abstention, Obama abandoned decades of U.S. practice of defending Israel against the bigots and thug governments that routinely sit on the Security Council, including permanent members Russia and China, and their rotating sidekicks, such as Venezuela. As a Wall Street Journal editorial accurately put it, referring to the U.S. abstention: "What it reveals clearly is the Obama administration's animus against the state of Israel itself. No longer needing Jewish votes, Mr. Obama was free, finally, to punish the Jewish state in a way no previous president has done."
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Obama's Shameful Betrayal of Israel
From PJMedia, where there is more:
Friday, December 02, 2016
After 80 Years, Islamist Turkey Again Seizes Hagia Sophia Church for Islam
 |
| From the date of its construction in 537 AD, and until 1453, Hagia Sophia [Holy Wisdom] served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople. The building was later converted into an Ottoman mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931. It was then secularized and opened as a museum on 1 February 1935. The church was dedicated to the Wisdom of God, the Logos, the second person of the Trinity, its patronal feast taking place on 25 December, the commemoration of the birth of the incarnation of the Logos in Christ. |
From PJ Media:
The Hagia Sophia is one of the most beautiful and well-known buildings in the world -- and Islamists have detested that fact for years. After all, it is a Christian church, and therefore a Christian symbol.
That's why the Ottoman Turks wasted little time transforming the church into a mosque when they invaded and conquered Constantinople (Istanbul) centuries ago. Christian symbols and works of art were destroyed or covered, and a dominating tower was built from which the Islamic call to prayer could be sung.
The Ottomans did that because they wanted to show Christians that, from then onwards, Islam was in power. Christianity would be subjugated.
That changed in the 20th century, when the Ottoman Empire fell and was succeeded by the secular Turkish Republic. The Hagia Sophia was declared a neutral place for Christians and Muslims (and for people of all other religions). The church/mosque was made into a museum where everybody was welcome.
Just about everybody was happy with that situation -- except for the remaining Islamists. Thankfully, fundamentalist Muslims were marginalized in the Turkish Republic.
Sadly, that has all changed under the rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's current president.
Erdogan is an Islamist who believes that Turkey can only restore its old glory (note: the glory days of the Ottomans) by becoming a truly Islamist nation. That's why nobody was surprised -- shocked, yes, but not surprised -- when the government announced earlier this year that the Muslim call to prayer would be sung twice a day in the Hagia Sophia from then on.
Christians and others criticized the decision, but Erdogan ignored them. At best, he and the other members of the government said Christians had nothing to fear. It was just a call to prayer, twice a day. What's the problem?
Logically, Christians and other critics of the government had a hard time believing the president. They feared that this was just the first step in a project to once again Islamize the Hagia Sophia.
This fear has now been validated: last Friday, the Turkish government announced that it had appointed a permanent imam to the Hagia Sophia.
This means that the Islamic call to prayer will now be heard five times a day, instead of two times -- and that it will basically function as any other mosque.
It's a tremendous slap in the face of Turkish Christians, who already are an increasingly beleaguered minority.
Earlier this month, Rev. Andrew Brunson and his wife Norine were arrested for supposedly being "national security threats." That's an excuse this government always uses to take out those who don't support the president. Brunson has been arrested because of his work for Christ.
Turkey's Islamist president is on a war path with Christians in Turkey. Their churches are turned into mosques, their pastors are arrested and deported, and those Christians who remain are constantly forced to look over their shoulder.
Welcome to the New Turkey of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where non-Muslims are soon to face the traditional Koranic choice of "convert, submit, or die."
The Christian population of Turkey is evaporating rapidly. The nation, a NATO member since 1952, experienced a reduction in its Christian population from 20 percent 100 years ago to only 0.2 percent today.
Presumably, the reconversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque means that these precious mosaic icons from the Byzantine Era will once again be plastered over.
 |
| In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Empire under Mehmed the Conqueror, who ordered this main church of Orthodox Christianity converted into a mosque. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels and other relics were removed and the mosaics depicting Jesus, his Mother Mary, Christian saints and angels were also removed or plastered over. |
We need to pray that this marvelous edifice once again becomes a place where Christ is worshipped.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Fidel Castro Dead: Nothing Changes
As I have grown older, I have become more pragmatic. Thirty or forty years ago, I would have taken the time to wax eloquent on the subtle and not so subtle differences between socialism and communism. Today I am content to say that the only difference between the two seems to be the militancy with which the redistribution of wealth is enforced.
I have always had a sadness in my heart for Cuba. As a four year old boy I went to Havana with my parents only a couple of months before Castro came to power. I have always retained vivid memories of my early childhood and the trip to Havana is no exception. I still remember the beautiful beaches and boulevards, the hotel where we stayed and the restaurants where we ate—and, yes, the casinos (even though my parents didn't take me into the areas where the gambling occurred, I still remember seeing the roulette tables and other games through the open archways). Cuba before Communism was a playground for those who could afford to play.
It was Christmas 1958, but amid all the celebrating there was a tension in the air. It was as if wealthy Cubans and American tourists alike realized they were celebrating a last hurrah before a terrible fate befell their world. Cubans who could afford to were already fleeing the country, and American tourists were saying farewell to a country and a way of life they would not see again.
Tourism and the growing and selling of sugar had been making Cubans rich for decades, but not all Cubans. What most tourists didn't see, or didn't want to, was the underclass, people who lived in poverty like the macheteros—sugarcane cutters—who worked only during the four month growing season, and the rest of the year were unemployed and angry. The growing class disparity as well as accusations of corruption in the government of President Fulgencio Batista made the country ripe for a revolution. A band of guerrillas, led by Fidel Castro, had begun fomenting just such a revolution that would soon bring an end to Havana's high-life.
Born in Birán, Cuba, as the son of a wealthy Spanish farmer (his father owned a 23,000 acre estate), Fidel Castro adopted leftist politics while studying law at the University of Havana. After participating in rebellions against governments in the Dominican Republic and Colombia, he planned the overthrow of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista, launching a failed attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953.
After a year's imprisonment, he traveled to Mexico where he formed a revolutionary group, the "26th of July Movement," with his brother Raúl Castro and revolutionary icon Che Guevara. Returning to Cuba, Castro took a key role in the Cuban Revolution by leading the Movement in a guerrilla war against Batista's forces. The Revolution was successful in overthrowing Batista's government in 1959, and Castro assumed military and political power as Cuba's Prime Minister.
A quote that has been variously attributed to Marx, Lenin, or Stalin is "When we hang the capitalists they will sell us the rope we use." I think Castro was surprised that, having taken over Cuba, the United States did not continue to sell (or give) Cuba the rope—or anything else they needed. The US government stood on principle, something a Communist would not expect a Capitalist to do.
The United States opposed the establishment of what was clearly a Communist dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere and unsuccessfully attempted to remove Castro by assassination, economic blockade, and inciting a counter-revolution, including the Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961. Countering these threats, Castro formed an alliance with the Soviet Union and allowed the Soviets to place nuclear weapons in Cuba, sparking the Cuban Missile Crisis—a defining incident of the Cold War—in 1962. Thus hardened in their respective positions, the US has maintained an embargo on commerce with and travel to Cuba for more than 50 years.
So how have the Cuban people fared during those 50 years? If George Orwell were still living, he could make a case study out of Cuba. A revolution supposedly begun to help poor people only made them poorer. A revolution to free them from oppression has only made them more oppressed. A revolution in the name of democracy resulted in a dictatorship and family dynasty by one man and his brother for over 50 years. And it really doesn't matter whether you call it socialism or communism.
Fidel Castro is, at last, dead. His brother and successor as supreme tyrant, Raúl Castro, announced his death on Friday night, “with a profound pain." The pain cannot compare with the pain felt by the Cuban people for the past half-century. The reality is that Fidel Castro presided over the cultural genocide of his own people, employing the firing squad liberally against “counter-revolutionaries;” sending Christians and other undesirables to concentration camps, and pushing still more undesirables out of the country in huge boat lifts, mostly to southern Florida.
President Obama and the "Mainstream" Media are mourning Castro's death—whitewashing his crimes against the Cuban people while having the gall to compare him to George Washington.
"We know that this moment fills Cubans -- in Cuba and in the United States -- with powerful emotions, recalling the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation. History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him," President Obama said in a statement.
ABC's Jim Avila said Castro "was considered, even to this day, the George Washington of his country among those who remain in Cuba." MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell lavished the evil man with high praise mentioning he "will be revered for education and social services and medical care to all of his people."
President-elect Donald Trump, on the other hand, called out Castro for who he really was--a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people: "Fidel Castro's legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights," Trump said in a statement.
Senator Marco Rubio, himself of Cuban descent, took to Twitter with several Tweets: "History will remember Fidel Castro as an evil, murderous dictator who inflicted misery & suffering on his own people." Rubio also urged Obama to avoid Castro's funeral.
Following is President-elect Trump's full statement:
President-elect Trump is absolutely correct. Our sympathies and our prayers should be with the Cuban people who have suffered for decades under the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro and will continue to suffer until true freedom comes to Cuba.
I have always had a sadness in my heart for Cuba. As a four year old boy I went to Havana with my parents only a couple of months before Castro came to power. I have always retained vivid memories of my early childhood and the trip to Havana is no exception. I still remember the beautiful beaches and boulevards, the hotel where we stayed and the restaurants where we ate—and, yes, the casinos (even though my parents didn't take me into the areas where the gambling occurred, I still remember seeing the roulette tables and other games through the open archways). Cuba before Communism was a playground for those who could afford to play.
It was Christmas 1958, but amid all the celebrating there was a tension in the air. It was as if wealthy Cubans and American tourists alike realized they were celebrating a last hurrah before a terrible fate befell their world. Cubans who could afford to were already fleeing the country, and American tourists were saying farewell to a country and a way of life they would not see again.
Tourism and the growing and selling of sugar had been making Cubans rich for decades, but not all Cubans. What most tourists didn't see, or didn't want to, was the underclass, people who lived in poverty like the macheteros—sugarcane cutters—who worked only during the four month growing season, and the rest of the year were unemployed and angry. The growing class disparity as well as accusations of corruption in the government of President Fulgencio Batista made the country ripe for a revolution. A band of guerrillas, led by Fidel Castro, had begun fomenting just such a revolution that would soon bring an end to Havana's high-life.
Born in Birán, Cuba, as the son of a wealthy Spanish farmer (his father owned a 23,000 acre estate), Fidel Castro adopted leftist politics while studying law at the University of Havana. After participating in rebellions against governments in the Dominican Republic and Colombia, he planned the overthrow of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista, launching a failed attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953.
After a year's imprisonment, he traveled to Mexico where he formed a revolutionary group, the "26th of July Movement," with his brother Raúl Castro and revolutionary icon Che Guevara. Returning to Cuba, Castro took a key role in the Cuban Revolution by leading the Movement in a guerrilla war against Batista's forces. The Revolution was successful in overthrowing Batista's government in 1959, and Castro assumed military and political power as Cuba's Prime Minister.
A quote that has been variously attributed to Marx, Lenin, or Stalin is "When we hang the capitalists they will sell us the rope we use." I think Castro was surprised that, having taken over Cuba, the United States did not continue to sell (or give) Cuba the rope—or anything else they needed. The US government stood on principle, something a Communist would not expect a Capitalist to do.
The United States opposed the establishment of what was clearly a Communist dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere and unsuccessfully attempted to remove Castro by assassination, economic blockade, and inciting a counter-revolution, including the Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961. Countering these threats, Castro formed an alliance with the Soviet Union and allowed the Soviets to place nuclear weapons in Cuba, sparking the Cuban Missile Crisis—a defining incident of the Cold War—in 1962. Thus hardened in their respective positions, the US has maintained an embargo on commerce with and travel to Cuba for more than 50 years.
So how have the Cuban people fared during those 50 years? If George Orwell were still living, he could make a case study out of Cuba. A revolution supposedly begun to help poor people only made them poorer. A revolution to free them from oppression has only made them more oppressed. A revolution in the name of democracy resulted in a dictatorship and family dynasty by one man and his brother for over 50 years. And it really doesn't matter whether you call it socialism or communism.
Fidel Castro is, at last, dead. His brother and successor as supreme tyrant, Raúl Castro, announced his death on Friday night, “with a profound pain." The pain cannot compare with the pain felt by the Cuban people for the past half-century. The reality is that Fidel Castro presided over the cultural genocide of his own people, employing the firing squad liberally against “counter-revolutionaries;” sending Christians and other undesirables to concentration camps, and pushing still more undesirables out of the country in huge boat lifts, mostly to southern Florida.
President Obama and the "Mainstream" Media are mourning Castro's death—whitewashing his crimes against the Cuban people while having the gall to compare him to George Washington.
"We know that this moment fills Cubans -- in Cuba and in the United States -- with powerful emotions, recalling the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation. History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him," President Obama said in a statement.
ABC's Jim Avila said Castro "was considered, even to this day, the George Washington of his country among those who remain in Cuba." MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell lavished the evil man with high praise mentioning he "will be revered for education and social services and medical care to all of his people."
President-elect Donald Trump, on the other hand, called out Castro for who he really was--a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people: "Fidel Castro's legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights," Trump said in a statement.
Senator Marco Rubio, himself of Cuban descent, took to Twitter with several Tweets: "History will remember Fidel Castro as an evil, murderous dictator who inflicted misery & suffering on his own people." Rubio also urged Obama to avoid Castro's funeral.
Following is President-elect Trump's full statement:
"Today, the world marks the passing of a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people for nearly six decades. Fidel Castro’s legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights.Numerous media outlets have taken note of the stark contrast between Obama and Trump's statements.
"While Cuba remains a totalitarian island, it is my hope that today marks a move away from the horrors endured for too long, and toward a future in which the wonderful Cuban people finally live in the freedom they so richly deserve.
"Though the tragedies, deaths and pain caused by Fidel Castro cannot be erased, our administration will do all it can to ensure the Cuban people can finally begin their journey toward prosperity and liberty. I join the many Cuban Americans who supported me so greatly in the presidential campaign, including the Brigade 2506 Veterans Association that endorsed me, with the hope of one day soon seeing a free Cuba."
President-elect Trump is absolutely correct. Our sympathies and our prayers should be with the Cuban people who have suffered for decades under the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro and will continue to suffer until true freedom comes to Cuba.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Study Finds that Mainline Protestant Churches that Focus on the Gospel and Prayer are Growing; Those that Don’t Are in Decline
VirtueOnline summarizes an important study published this week in the Canadian publication, MacLeans, demonstrating that fidelity to the Bible and historic Christian orthodoxy is a key factor in whether a "mainline" congregation grows or declines:
Read the rest of the summary on VirtueOnline.
Read the original article at MacLeans.
An academic survey study of 2,225 churchgoers in Ontario, Canada, conducted over five years by Wilfred Laurier University revealed that people interpreting the Bible literally "helps increase church attendance."
The research, published in the Canadian publication MacLeans, notes that:
Answers in accord with traditional Christian orthodoxy—basic articles of faith (the ancient Creeds), the authority of Scripture, God’s visible working in the world today, the exclusivity of Christianity (Jesus as the door to eternal life), the importance of daily prayer—were tightly bound to growing life in individual churches. As well, conservative churches had a lower mean age among attendees (53 to 63), emphasis on youth groups, the presence of young families, wide participation by congregants (not only on Sunday mornings) and a commitment to evangelism.Thus the study finds conservative theology mixed with innovative worship approaches helps Protestant churches grow congregations.
Among the key findings of the survey are:
Only 50% of clergy from declining churches agreed it was "very important to encourage non-Christians to become Christians", compared to 100% of clergy from growing churches.
71% of clergy from growing churches read the Bible daily compared with 19% from declining churches.
46% of people attending growing churches read the Bible once a week compared with 26% from declining churches.
93% of clergy and 83% of worshippers from growing churches agreed with the statement "Jesus rose from the dead with a real flesh-and-blood body leaving behind an empty tomb". This compared with 67% of worshippers and 56% of clergy from declining churches.
100% of clergy and 90% of worshippers agreed that "God performs miracles in answer to prayers", compared with 80% of worshippers and 44% of clergy from declining churches.
Read the rest of the summary on VirtueOnline.
Read the original article at MacLeans.
Friday, November 18, 2016
Swe-e-e-t !!!
One of the peculiar joys of living in Wisconsin was the number of radio stations that would suspend their regular programs or music playlists at some point in November (sometimes around Thanksgiving, sometimes as early as Veterans Day) and play Christmas music 24 hours a day until Christmas was over. I know that to some of you the idea may sound awful. I thought so too, at first; but then the "Advent discipline," as I came to think of it, took hold, and now I really miss hearing Christmas music—be it carols, anthems, or jazz and rock oldies—for four to six weeks out of every year. (I also developed a serious addiction to cheese of all kinds during those same wonderful years—a habit I ain't kicking, ever!)
So I was really gratified to read Todd Starnes' column on Fox News this week, celebrating the fact that that a Madison, Wisconsin radio station, Liberal Talk "92.1 The Mic" will now be called "92.1 Best FM" — "Madison's Home for the Holidays." What made the news really sweet was that the station being taken over will no longer be hosting the radio program of the Freedom From Religion Foundation—Wisconsin's answer to Madalyn Murray O'Hair. I'll let Todd Starnes tell you the rest:
Here again is the link to Todd Starnes' column on Fox News.
So I was really gratified to read Todd Starnes' column on Fox News this week, celebrating the fact that that a Madison, Wisconsin radio station, Liberal Talk "92.1 The Mic" will now be called "92.1 Best FM" — "Madison's Home for the Holidays." What made the news really sweet was that the station being taken over will no longer be hosting the radio program of the Freedom From Religion Foundation—Wisconsin's answer to Madalyn Murray O'Hair. I'll let Todd Starnes tell you the rest:
Radio station dumps atheists for Christmas music
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a motley crew of atheists, agnostics and free-thinkers just got a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings.
WXXM, the progressive talk radio station in Madison, Wisconsin, has flipped formats – leaving the uber-liberal city without a place to converse about micro-aggressions, plot protest marches or swap quinoa recipes.
The Wisconsin State Journal reports that Liberal Talk "92.1 The Mic" will now be called "92.1 BestFM" -- "Madison's Home for the Holidays."
Yes, good readers -- progressive talk was replaced with around-the-clock Christmas music. Ho! Ho! Ho!
Among the shows given the heave-ho as a result of the format change was “Forethought Radio,” a show hosted by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
“We opened up the Wisconsin State Journal the morning after the election to read the remarkable announcement that progressive talk had been banished forthwith on 92.1 FM and replaced with around-the-clock Christmas music,” FFRF co-founder Annie Gaylor said in a statement.
Well, if that doesn’t curdle an atheist’s egg-nog I don’t know what will.
“It’s not exactly the appropriate vehicle for Freethought Radio now,” Ms. Gaylor lamented.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is not a big fan of the Baby Jesus.
They make their living by filing lawsuits against towns that display the Nativity Scene and by bullying schools that sing Christmas carols.
They’re basically a bunch of godless Grinches – pillaging and plundering their way through the yuletide season.
In 2015 the FFRF filed a federal lawsuit against an Indiana school district –demanding the little Lord Jesus be evicted from a Christmas pageant.
That same year, they were successful in banning public school choirs in Portland, Oregon from performing at a Catholic shrine called the Grotto.
They also tried to bully the good people of Piedmont, Alabama for making “Keep Christ in Christmas” the theme of the annual holiday parade.
But the FFRF’s devious scheme was foiled by some mighty clever thinking. Instead of making it the “official” theme – the town decided to make it the “unofficial” theme.
Radio Insight reports the station’s flip to Christmas music will lead to a new format after the holidays. It’s unclear what that format will be – but it’s unlikely liberal talk will return to the airwaves.
Christian Examiner reports the station's programming was being trounced in the ratings by conservative talk radio giants like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity (a great American and my colleague at Fox News).
Let’s be honest – would you rather listen to Rush and Sean or a gaggle of man-hating feminists in Birkenstocks warbling about the virtues of organic gardening.
Progressive talk radio does not make for good talk radio and that’s why WXXM opted to play Jingle Bells instead of blathering atheists.
Now that the Freedom From Religion Foundation has been silenced, the citizens of Madison will finally be able to enjoy the holiday season with peace on Earth – goodwill to men.
Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year!
_______
Todd Starnes is host of Fox News & Commentary, heard on hundreds of radio stations. His latest book is "God Less America: Real Stories From the Front Lines of the Attack on Traditional Values." Follow Todd on Twitter @ToddStarnes and find him on Facebook.
Here again is the link to Todd Starnes' column on Fox News.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Feeling the spirit of ’76 in 2016
The following is quoted in an excellent article in the NY Post entitled "Donald Trump’s Win Means the Biased Media Need to Change". While the excerpt captures what I want to say, the rest of the article is excellent, and I encourage you to follow the link and read it.
I would say that we now have a chance at being America again. The forces that would kill our freedom of speech and freedom of religion with political correctness and "guilt" us into all sorts of nation-destroying behaviors are still with us, and they will not rest. If we are truly going to make America great again, we must, as the article says, "kneel more often for the right reasons" and make common sense fashionable again.
May God have mercy on the United States of America!
Read the rest.
“Two dozen decades ago, the British Empire bent a knee and grudgingly offered a sword of surrender to an army of Deplorables led by George Washington.
The embarrassment was so mighty, the commander of the defeated couldn’t bear to offer his own sword and delegated the display of humility to an underling, slighting the victor and bruising protocol.
The honors of war also called for a British band to play a song chosen by the victors. Legend has it that Washington requested ‘The World Turn’d Upside Down.’
Now the world is again turned upside down. And once more, the underdog outclassed the mighty and, with a legion of Deplorables, pointed to a new and brilliant future.
To bruise the words of Benjamin Franklin, who I am sure is in sweet shock, we have our republic back ... IF we can keep it.
This time, we better pay more careful attention. We are ever lucky for this second chance.
The mess was caused by our own sloppy apathy. Our civic sloth, our moral negligence.
We let others hijack our principles, kidnap our values, and hostage our free speech. We permitted a slender few to tell us who we were to be, rather than honor who we are. We let them guilt us into a nightmare from which we have been freed.
We were mustered by a powerful personality, but in truth, we were the power. Ordinary us. We banged the shields. Banded together in a noisy brotherhood. Steeled our spines. And kept the faith.
We turned the world upside down. Again.
In this new beginning, we should stand tall for anthems that honor us all and kneel more often for the right reasons.
We should respect the Laws of Nature, and make fashionable common sense. Government must be reminded that we are its master.
We are America. Again.”
I would say that we now have a chance at being America again. The forces that would kill our freedom of speech and freedom of religion with political correctness and "guilt" us into all sorts of nation-destroying behaviors are still with us, and they will not rest. If we are truly going to make America great again, we must, as the article says, "kneel more often for the right reasons" and make common sense fashionable again.
May God have mercy on the United States of America!
Wednesday, November 09, 2016
America Wins!!!
"You can always count on Americans to do the right thing -- after they've tried everything else." ~ Winston Churchill
If you are unhappy about the results of yesterday's presidential election, go back and read my previous blog post.
If you are happy about the results of yesterday's presidential election, go back and read my previous blog post.
Yesterday Americans struck a blow for liberty. Political correctness lost; free speech won.
Global elitists lost; ordinary citizens won. Cynics and secularists lost; people of faith won.
The implications of those last three sentences will take time to be felt. But there is a fresh wind blowing; and it is good.
If you are unhappy about the results of yesterday's presidential election, go back and read my previous blog post.
If you are happy about the results of yesterday's presidential election, go back and read my previous blog post.
Yesterday Americans struck a blow for liberty. Political correctness lost; free speech won.
Global elitists lost; ordinary citizens won. Cynics and secularists lost; people of faith won.
The implications of those last three sentences will take time to be felt. But there is a fresh wind blowing; and it is good.
Sunday, November 06, 2016
Max Lucado: My prediction for November 9
Some important words from Pastor Max Lucado:
Pastor Lucado is correct. It is important that we not lose sight of God's sovereignty. He is in control. But I also take another point from Lucado's teaching, which he may not have intended: We are, like the people of Jeremiah's day, a nation in rebellion and a nation under judgment; and that will remain true no matter who is President-elect on November 9. So it is incumbent on Christians to pray for God's mercy on our nation and to work as never before to bring individuals to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
We are really ready for this presidential election to be over. We’re ready for an end to the rancor and tackiness.------------
Voters on both sides feel frustrated, even embarrassed by it all. There is a visceral fear, an angst about the result. What if so and so wins? When we wake up to November 9, post-election, when the confetti is swept away and the election is finally over, what will we see?
I have a prediction. I know exactly what November 9 will bring. Another day of God’s perfect sovereignty.
He will still be in charge. His throne will still be occupied. He will still manage the affairs of the world. Never before has His providence depended on a king, president, or ruler. And it won’t on November 9, 2016. “The LORD can control a king’s mind as he controls a river; he can direct it as he pleases” (Proverbs 21:1 NCV).
On one occasion the Lord turned the heart of the King of Assyria so that he aided them in the construction of the Temple. On another occasion, he stirred the heart of Cyrus to release the Jews to return to Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar was considered to be the mightiest king of his generation. But God humbled and put him in “detention” for seven years. “The kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations” (Psalms 22:28).
Understanding God’s sovereignty over the nations opens the door to peace. When we realize that God influences the hearts of all rulers, we can then choose to pray for them rather than fret about them. Rather than wring our hands we bend our knees, we select prayer over despair.
Jeremiah did this. He was the prophet to Israel during one of her darkest periods of rebellion. He was called “the weeping prophet” because he was one. He wept at the condition of the people and the depravity of their faith. He was so distraught that one of his books was entitled Lamentations. But then he considered the work of God. Note the intentionality of his words:
This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
The LORD’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
(Lam. 3:21-23)
Imitate Jeremiah. Lift up your eyes. Dare to believe that good things will happen. Dare to believe that God was speaking to us when he said: “In everything God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).
Many years ago, I spent a week visiting the interior of Brazil with a long-time missionary pilot. He flew a circuit of remote towns in a small plane that threatened to come undone at the slightest gust of wind. Wilbur and Orville had a sturdier aircraft.
I could not get comfortable. I kept thinking that the plane was going to crash in some Brazilian jungle and I’d be gobbled up by piranhas or swallowed by an anaconda.
I kept shifting around, looking down, and gripping my seat. (As if that would help.) Finally, the pilot had had enough of my squirming. He looked at me and shouted over the airplane noise. “We won’t face anything I can’t handle. You might as well trust me to fly the plane.”
Is God saying the same to you? If so, make this your prayer:
Dear Lord,
You are perfect. You could not be better than you are.
You are self-created. You exist because you choose to exist.
You are self-sustaining. No one helps you. No one gives you strength.
You are self-governing. Who can question your deeds? Who dares advise you?
You are correct. In every way. In every choice. You regret no decision.
You have never failed. Never! You cannot fail! You are God! You will accomplish your plan.
You are happy. Eternally joyful. Endlessly content.
You are the king, supreme ruler, absolute monarch, overlord, and rajah of all history.
An arch of your eyebrow and a million angels will pivot and salute. Every throne is a footstool to yours. Every crown is papier–mâché to yours. No limitations, hesitations, questions, second thoughts, or backward glances. You consult no clock. You keep no calendar. You report to no one. You are in charge.
And I trust you.
Circle November 9 on your calendar and write upon it the words: Our good God rules the world.
Pastor Lucado is correct. It is important that we not lose sight of God's sovereignty. He is in control. But I also take another point from Lucado's teaching, which he may not have intended: We are, like the people of Jeremiah's day, a nation in rebellion and a nation under judgment; and that will remain true no matter who is President-elect on November 9. So it is incumbent on Christians to pray for God's mercy on our nation and to work as never before to bring individuals to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Monday, October 31, 2016
It's About the Policies, Stupid!
Ultimately, the choice of a candidate for President of the United States comes down to policies. What will a candidate do if elected President?
I find myself in strong—yea, gut-wrenching— disagreement with Hillary Clinton's stated positions on immigration (open borders), fully accessible and legal abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Iran Nuclear Deal, Gun Control through executive orders, higher taxes, expansion of Obamacare, maintaining the same high business taxes that are destroying American jobs, etc.
Here are Donald Trump's stated positions about the following policies. And, personally, I cannot find a single one with which I disagree.
Immigration -- "Restore integrity to our immigration system by prioritizing the interests of Americans first. Enforce our immigration laws – at the border and at the workplace. Build a border wall and end sanctuary cities. Send criminal aliens home. Welcome those who embrace our way of life, but keep out immigrants and refugees who don’t through rigorous vetting."
Abortion -- "The primary responsibility of the federal government is to protect the rights of its citizens. Life is the most fundamental right. The federal government should not diminish this right by denying its’ protection. I am opposed to abortion except for rape, incest and life of the mother. I oppose the use of government funds to pay for abortions."
Foreign Policy -- "Foreign policy will be singularly focused on Making America Safe Again by destroying radical Islamic terrorist groups. End the nuclear deal with Iran and the ransom payments to the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism. America will stand with its allies and end the Obama-Clinton practice of apologizing to our enemies."
Guns -- "Unwavering support of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Get serious about prosecuting violent criminals. Get gang members and drug dealers off the street to make our cities and communities safer. Empower law-abiding gun owners to defend themselves. Expand mental health programs keep the violent mentally ill off of our streets."
Taxes -- "Cut business rate to 15 percent. Reduce individual rates to three brackets of 12, 25, and 33 percent, with a 0 percent rate for many. Add above-the-line deduction for childcare costs, including for stay-at-home parents." Trump has also said that he would “eliminate job-killing regulations” and “have massive tax reform and simplification.”
Health Care -- "Every American deserves access to high quality, affordable health care, not just insurance. Obamacare has failed on cost and quality of health care. It must be repealed. America needs a patient-centered health care system, allowing families and their doctors to be primary decision makers. Provide for the sale of health insurance across state lines."
Economy and Jobs -- "Reform the tax code and trade policies to make it easier to hire, invest, build, grow, produce, and manufacture in America. Stop China from stealing our jobs, renegotiate NAFTA, cut unneeded regulations and make America the best place in the world to do business. Putting America First—and not globalism—will keep jobs and wealth in America."
Environment -- "Everyone deserves clean air and safe drinking water regardless of race or income. Water infrastructure will be a big priority. We need to work to protect natural areas, but in a balanced way. End Obama EPA mandates that cost too many jobs, are opposed by most states, and too often have negligible benefit for the environment."
Crime and Violence -- "Crime and violence are an attack on everyone—-particularly the poor—-and are unacceptable. We will have strong, swift fair law and order. Progress against criminal activity is being reversed by this administration's rollback and discouragement of criminal enforcement. We must work with law enforcement and first responders to keep our communities safe."
Education -- "Every child in America deserves a great education and an opportunity to achieve their dreams. We will enhance education options for students through school choice and charters, and respect homeschoolers in their quest for educational alternatives. We will also make it easier for families to afford college so students aren’t buried in debt."
Budget and Spending -- "Create high-paying jobs to bring growth to our stagnant economy, reducing deficits and spending. Rebuild our military and ensure that veterans receive top quality medical care. Rebuild our infrastructure. End government corruption and rein in wasteful spending to put our ballooning deficits on a long-term path to balance."
National Security -- "There are serious threats facing the United States, and American strength is the only way to ensure peace. We must rebuild our military, reform our intelligence agencies, and prepare our government for the security challenges of cyberspace."
Medicare and Social Security -- "Preserve Medicare for future generations. No changes to promised Social Security benefits."
Veterans -- "Ensure that every Veteran gets timely access to top-quality care through the VA or private Medicare providers if the VA cannot provide timely access. Fix VA corruption and help Veterans find good paying jobs. Veterans should come first in the country they fought to protect, and under a Trump Administration they will."
Energy -- "We will use our vast coal, shale gas, and other American energy sources in a clean and appropriate manner to benefit American families and workers, not for the economic benefit of the politically-connected. Support coal jobs, safe fracking, energy from offshore and public lands and the Keystone Pipeline, which can be done responsibly."
I find myself in strong—yea, gut-wrenching— disagreement with Hillary Clinton's stated positions on immigration (open borders), fully accessible and legal abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Iran Nuclear Deal, Gun Control through executive orders, higher taxes, expansion of Obamacare, maintaining the same high business taxes that are destroying American jobs, etc.
Here are Donald Trump's stated positions about the following policies. And, personally, I cannot find a single one with which I disagree.
Immigration -- "Restore integrity to our immigration system by prioritizing the interests of Americans first. Enforce our immigration laws – at the border and at the workplace. Build a border wall and end sanctuary cities. Send criminal aliens home. Welcome those who embrace our way of life, but keep out immigrants and refugees who don’t through rigorous vetting."
Abortion -- "The primary responsibility of the federal government is to protect the rights of its citizens. Life is the most fundamental right. The federal government should not diminish this right by denying its’ protection. I am opposed to abortion except for rape, incest and life of the mother. I oppose the use of government funds to pay for abortions."
Foreign Policy -- "Foreign policy will be singularly focused on Making America Safe Again by destroying radical Islamic terrorist groups. End the nuclear deal with Iran and the ransom payments to the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism. America will stand with its allies and end the Obama-Clinton practice of apologizing to our enemies."
Guns -- "Unwavering support of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Get serious about prosecuting violent criminals. Get gang members and drug dealers off the street to make our cities and communities safer. Empower law-abiding gun owners to defend themselves. Expand mental health programs keep the violent mentally ill off of our streets."
Taxes -- "Cut business rate to 15 percent. Reduce individual rates to three brackets of 12, 25, and 33 percent, with a 0 percent rate for many. Add above-the-line deduction for childcare costs, including for stay-at-home parents." Trump has also said that he would “eliminate job-killing regulations” and “have massive tax reform and simplification.”
Health Care -- "Every American deserves access to high quality, affordable health care, not just insurance. Obamacare has failed on cost and quality of health care. It must be repealed. America needs a patient-centered health care system, allowing families and their doctors to be primary decision makers. Provide for the sale of health insurance across state lines."
Economy and Jobs -- "Reform the tax code and trade policies to make it easier to hire, invest, build, grow, produce, and manufacture in America. Stop China from stealing our jobs, renegotiate NAFTA, cut unneeded regulations and make America the best place in the world to do business. Putting America First—and not globalism—will keep jobs and wealth in America."
Environment -- "Everyone deserves clean air and safe drinking water regardless of race or income. Water infrastructure will be a big priority. We need to work to protect natural areas, but in a balanced way. End Obama EPA mandates that cost too many jobs, are opposed by most states, and too often have negligible benefit for the environment."
Crime and Violence -- "Crime and violence are an attack on everyone—-particularly the poor—-and are unacceptable. We will have strong, swift fair law and order. Progress against criminal activity is being reversed by this administration's rollback and discouragement of criminal enforcement. We must work with law enforcement and first responders to keep our communities safe."
Education -- "Every child in America deserves a great education and an opportunity to achieve their dreams. We will enhance education options for students through school choice and charters, and respect homeschoolers in their quest for educational alternatives. We will also make it easier for families to afford college so students aren’t buried in debt."
Budget and Spending -- "Create high-paying jobs to bring growth to our stagnant economy, reducing deficits and spending. Rebuild our military and ensure that veterans receive top quality medical care. Rebuild our infrastructure. End government corruption and rein in wasteful spending to put our ballooning deficits on a long-term path to balance."
National Security -- "There are serious threats facing the United States, and American strength is the only way to ensure peace. We must rebuild our military, reform our intelligence agencies, and prepare our government for the security challenges of cyberspace."
Medicare and Social Security -- "Preserve Medicare for future generations. No changes to promised Social Security benefits."
Veterans -- "Ensure that every Veteran gets timely access to top-quality care through the VA or private Medicare providers if the VA cannot provide timely access. Fix VA corruption and help Veterans find good paying jobs. Veterans should come first in the country they fought to protect, and under a Trump Administration they will."
Energy -- "We will use our vast coal, shale gas, and other American energy sources in a clean and appropriate manner to benefit American families and workers, not for the economic benefit of the politically-connected. Support coal jobs, safe fracking, energy from offshore and public lands and the Keystone Pipeline, which can be done responsibly."
Chicago Tribune: Time for Democrats to Ask Clinton to Step Aside
Has America become so numb by the decades of lies and cynicism oozing from Clinton Inc. that it could elect Hillary Clinton as president, even after Friday’s FBIannouncement that it had reopened an investigation of her emails while secretary of state?
We’ll find out soon enough.
It’s obvious the American political system is breaking down. It’s been crumbling for some time now, and the establishment elite know it and they’re properly frightened. Donald Trump, the vulgarian at their gates, is a symptom, not a cause. Hillary Clinton and husband Bill are both cause and effect.
FBI director James Comey‘s announcement about the renewed Clinton email investigation is the bombshell in the presidential campaign. That he announced this so close to Election Day should tell every thinking person that what the FBI is looking at is extremely serious.
Read the rest.
Friday, October 28, 2016
Monday, October 17, 2016
Petition Calling on UNESCO to Recognize Jewish Ties to Jerusalem Garners Tens of Thousands of Signatures
From here, where there is more:
Outrage over UNESCO’s approval on Thursday of a resolution that omitted the Jewish people’s ties with Jerusalem continued to grow over the weekend. As of Sunday morning, more than 65,000 people had signed an online petition calling on the UN cultural body to “recognize the deep historic, cultural and religious connection between the Jewish people and holy sites in the land of Israel.”Read the rest.
The Change.org petition, authored by the International Legal Forum and the pro-Israel advocacy organization StandWithUs, focused on the Temple Mount — the holiest site in Judaism, as it is where the two temples once stood — which the UNESCO resolution referred to as the “Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif and its surroundings.”
“By UNESCO deliberately ignoring the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount, UNESCO violates the basic human rights of Jews everywhere, as well as those of other religions whose beliefs and heritage include the spiritual and historical connection of the Jewish people to Jerusalem,” the petition said.
I encourage everyone reading this article to sign the Change.org petition.
Saturday, October 15, 2016
The Truest Words I Have Read in the 2016 Election Season
From here, where the is more:
What the Republican establishment does not understand or will not accept is that Donald Trump is only the symptom, not the cause, of the grassroots rebellion against establishment thinking. Donald Trump gave voice to those concerns, those very justified concerns, about our nation’s direction and our nation’s very survival.Read the rest.
Donald Trump the man and Trump the candidate has flaws and warts and weaknesses that were understandably exploited by opponents. But win or lose on November 8, the grassroots rebellion that fueled the Trump campaign will continue.
That rebellion is now an open civil war within the Republican party, and that is a shame. But at least it is a war over real issues, real concerns, and real worries over the safety and survival of our nation. And that, my friends, will always be a war worth fighting.
Friday, September 30, 2016
What Country Are We Living in?
The USSR? Nazi Germany?
From here, where there us more:
From here, where there us more:
Top rated radio talk show host Michael Savage was abruptly pulled off the air on Monday afternoon after launching into a segment on Hillary Clinton’s delicate health.Read the rest.
Savage, host of the nationally syndicated The Savage Nation radio program, was discussing Hillary’s health and suggested she may have Parkinson’s disease when he was alerted that his show had been pulled from the air on New York’s WABC radio.
The host discovered that The Savage Nation was pulled off the air and replaced by the “Curtis And Cooby Show,” in the Big Apple.
Not long after discovering he was pulled from WABC, as Savage was telling his audience what happened in New York, his live feed was suddenly cut off to many of his other affiliates and a replay of an earlier episode was substituted for the live feed.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Obama’s Internet Surrender: ‘We’ve Got Three Days to Fix This’
Center for Security Policy president and founder Frank Gaffney joined other political and military experts in warning against the impending surrender of U.S. control of Internet registration.
What they’re preparing to do is to cede, or surrender, the last vestige of American control, or even influence, over what is done with critical functions of the Internet. It gets pretty arcane, but the point is, if you think that the freedom of the Internet – whether it’s the ability of people to communicate freely information on it, or whether you think of it as an engine for free enterprise, let alone if you understand the contribution that it makes these days to national security – including, by the way, the operations of our critical infrastructure – you will understand that the United States retaining a measure of quality control as to what’s going on with how the Internet is populated with names and numbers, domains, websites and the like, is a very important thing.Call and/or write your Representatives and Senators and urge them to vote for legislation to block the transfer of the internet out of US control.
And for absolutely no good reason, other than people – or countries, I should say, like Russia, and China, and Saudi Arabia, and Iran, and North Korea – don’t want us to have any say in this and would like to be able to change things around so that they cannot only restrict all the things the Internet does to help their own people become familiar with the terrible they’re being subjected to, at the hands of their totalitarian or authoritarian regimes, but they want to take those freedoms – freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of enterprise – away from us, as well.
So this is what it comes down to: there’s no good reason for doing this, certainly not in the next three days, which is what’s going to happen unless Congress intervenes.
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Ambassador John Bolton on Obama’s Internet Handover: ‘Within Ten Years, the Internet as We Know It Will End’
From here where there is more:
U.N. ambassador John Bolton predicted that the impending transfer of Internet domain control from American supervision to an international body will mean the end of the Internet “as we know it.” Bolton explained that we should be “very concerned” about the transfer from “a national-security perspective.”Yes, the pending transfer of the internet out of American hands is really serious—possibly the greatest threat to freedom I have written about in 13 years of blogging—and it seems to be something that hardly any Americans know about. Call and/or write your Representatives and Senators and urge them to vote for legislation to block the transfer of the internet out of US control.
“What we’ve gotten out of the Internet, under the shelter of a private American organization that contracts with the Commerce Department, [is] one of the few cases that I can think of in our history where we’ve had that kind of government involvement without regulation and interference,” said Bolton.
He continued:
But because it’s entirely a U.S. government proposition with U.S. people involved, the Internet has been free and open. If, as the Administration wants to do, it’s transferred to an international body, I will predict right here: within 10 years it will come under the control of the United Nations, and the Internet as we know it will end because there are governments around the world that are already doing everything they can to prevent a free and open Internet in their countries, and it will extend to ours in due course.Bolton called the Internet handover “a mistake of such colossal proportions that you would have thought we’d have a huge debate about it in this country.” Read the rest.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Christian pastors face death penalty if convicted in Sudan
Last December, two evangelical pastors from the Church of Christ in Sudan were taken from their churches and thrown into jail. Last month, the Rev. Abdulraheem Kodi and the Rev. Kuwa Shamal Abu Zumam were charged with numerous offenses, including waging war against the state, espionage and undermining Sudan’s constitutional system.
Their trial has begun. They could get the death penalty if they're found guilty.
Kodi and Zumam hail from the Nuba Mountains, a region that continues to be bombed and brazenly targeted by Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, in what human rights and Christian groups say is an effort to rid the country of the Nuba people — indigenous groups who do not fit the regime’s vision of an Islamic nation and are accused of supporting anti-government rebels.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has imposed strict Islamic rule on his people. Al-Bashir, the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the International Criminal Court — there is an outstanding warrant for his arrest in connection to war crimes in Darfur — took power in a 1989 coup and has long taken a stance of “one language (Arabic), one religion (Islam).”
The Anglican Bishop of Kadugli Diocese, the Rt. Reverend Andudu Adam Elnail is now based in South Carolina, having fled Sudan in 2011 after government forces allegedly burned down his property when he refused to use his extensive church leadership outreach to endorse the President.
Read the rest.
Their trial has begun. They could get the death penalty if they're found guilty.
Kodi and Zumam hail from the Nuba Mountains, a region that continues to be bombed and brazenly targeted by Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, in what human rights and Christian groups say is an effort to rid the country of the Nuba people — indigenous groups who do not fit the regime’s vision of an Islamic nation and are accused of supporting anti-government rebels.
The Anglican Bishop of Kadugli Diocese, the Rt. Reverend Andudu Adam Elnail is now based in South Carolina, having fled Sudan in 2011 after government forces allegedly burned down his property when he refused to use his extensive church leadership outreach to endorse the President.
Read the rest.
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Praying Coach Suffers Legal Setback
In my last post I told about two coaches in Washington state, one who was being praised for "taking a knee" during the national anthem in a protest, and another coach who was dismissed for doing the same thing to pray after a game. There has been a further development, as Todd Starnes reports:
There’s been a legal setback for Joe Kennedy, the high school football coach who lost his job after he refused to stop praying at midfield after football games.Read the rest.
U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton declined to issue a preliminary injunction that would have forced the Bremerton School District in Washington State to rehire Coach Joe while his case is litigated.
Monday, September 19, 2016
A Tale of Two Coaches
This is a tale of two high school football coaches from Washington state. Both took a knee at a football game.
Coach Joe Kennedy, of Bremerton High School, took a knee to pray to God. He was fired.
Coach Joey Thomas, of Garfield High School, took a knee to protest America. He was praised.
To be fair, both men coach in different school districts. So the rules on prayer and protest may vary, but it does demonstrate how public schools embrace anti-American sentiment while rejecting freedom of religion.
Read the rest at ToodStarnes.com.
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Kim Jong Un Bans Sarcasm in North Korea
From Vanity Fair, where there is more:
Kim Jong Un just can’t take a joke. The last time the North Korean dictator found himself on the receiving end of some gentle ribbing, as the subject of James Franco and Seth Rogen’s assassination comedy The Interview, Kim’s repressive regime allegedly hacked Sony Pictures, apparently in retaliation. Now, the absolutist leader is taking his hostility toward humor to a farcical new extreme, banning all sarcasm throughout the Hermit Kingdom in an attempt to crack down on dissent and quash any further laughs at his expense.Read the rest.
The Independent reports that North Korean party officials held several mass meetings across the country in an attempt to warn citizens that criticizing the state via indirect, ironic statements such as “This is all America’s fault” would be illegal and “unacceptable.” And the consequences for disobeying are particularly unfunny: according to the nonprofit group Liberty in North Korea, any criticism of the government—including, apparently, the North Korean version of “Thanks, Obama”—“is enough to make you and your family ‘disappear’ from society and end up in a political prison camp.”
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Susan Boyle is Alive and Well
The supposed news of singer Susan Boyle’s death spread across the internet earlier this week causing concern among fans around the world. However the report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax. It is merely the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports that have been spread via the internet. Thankfully, the singer, who became famous after performing on the television show, Britain's Got Talent in 2009, and who went on to amaze the world with her remarkable voice, is alive and well.
Rumors of Susan Boyle’s alleged demise gained traction on Saturday after an ‘R.I.P. Susan Boyle’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million ‘likes.’ Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the Scottish singer’s passing:
On Sunday (September 11) a spokesperson for the officially confirmed that Susan Boyle is not dead. The spokesperson said, “She joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. She's still alive and well; stop believing what you see on the Internet.”
Why am I pointing out this story? The internet, which we now take for granted, is perhaps the world's greatest invention--a repository of the collective learning and intelligence of humankind. It is a tremendous source of news, education, and communication, as well as entertainment. When the internet is abused, we all suffer--not least of all those who are the victims of this kind of hoax.
Rumors of Susan Boyle’s alleged demise gained traction on Saturday after an ‘R.I.P. Susan Boyle’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million ‘likes.’ Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the Scottish singer’s passing:
“At about 11 a.m. ET on Saturday (September 10, 2016), our beloved singer Susan Boyle passed away. Susan Boyle was born on April 1, 1961 in Blackburn. She will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”Thousands of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 55-year-old singer was dead. Almost immediately, Twitter was ablaze with "Tweets" about Miss Boyle's supposed death.
On Sunday (September 11) a spokesperson for the officially confirmed that Susan Boyle is not dead. The spokesperson said, “She joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. She's still alive and well; stop believing what you see on the Internet.”
Why am I pointing out this story? The internet, which we now take for granted, is perhaps the world's greatest invention--a repository of the collective learning and intelligence of humankind. It is a tremendous source of news, education, and communication, as well as entertainment. When the internet is abused, we all suffer--not least of all those who are the victims of this kind of hoax.
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Friday, September 02, 2016
Dawkins, Maher Blast Churches For Selfless, Life-Saving Aid During Louisiana Floods
Another fine article from the Babylon Bee:
HOLLYWOOD, CA—Television host Bill Maher gathered with famous atheist Richard Dawkins for a web-exclusive episode of Real Time with Bill Maher Friday to discuss the recent, devastating floods in Louisiana, spending much of their time together detailing the immense destruction and blasting the selfless, life-saving relief carried out by the myriad Christian churches in the area.
“These churches, their assistance was absolutely crucial in saving lives—probably lots of lives—which just goes to show you the incredible selfishness of these people, and the depth of their delusions,” an indignant Maher stated. “Like, wow, really? Gathering boats and volunteers and evacuating scores of people from their submerged cars and houses? Opening your churches and homes to victims you don’t even know in the midst of catastrophic flooding in which thousands and thousands of people lost everything they owned? Why, because your magic tyrant in the clouds told you to? Pathetic.”
“I’ve been saying for decades that religion ruins everything, and this is a prime example of that,” Dawkins noted. “I’d bet that more than a few of these Christians are utterly traditional in their beliefs, and there they are, literally giving the clothes off their backs to people in need, instead of just allowing government relief efforts to be totally insufficient.”
“And don’t forget that these churches are tax exempt,” Maher added. “Tax exempt! So what do they do? They use their church campuses as launching areas for disaster relief. [Expletive] Christians!”
“One day—one day we’ll find a cure for religion,” said Dawkins. “Until then, we can only keep doing what we’re doing, and hope more people see that religion poisons everything it touches.”
Report: Episcopalians May Still Exist
Okay, the following article is from the Babylon Bee, a satirical site. But this kind of satire comes a little too close to the truth:
NEW YORK, NY—While many Americans believed the Episcopal Church to be some kind of myth or legend, the religious organization may actually still exist, researchers revealed Monday morning.Read it all.
The shocking findings came as a surprise to many American Christians, who had thought the denomination to have completely disappeared off the face of the earth, if it had ever existed at all.
“Contrary to popular opinion, yes, we are still around,” Most Reverend Michael Curry, head of the apparently-still-in-existence Episcopalian Church, allegedly said Monday in front of a dilapidated, overgrown church building. “We exist, and we plan to continue not to die. In fact, we are still hanging in there, and to my knowledge, we have not yet ceased to be.” Curry then allowed reporters to touch his hands to prove his existence, though all photos of Curry’s press conference mysteriously disappeared.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
"Flyover Nation: You Can't Run a Country You've Never Been To"
In a new book released this summer, author Dana Loesch is alarmed that America is fracturing into two countries—not North and South, but Coastal and Flyover. Worse, the people in charge don’t understand the first thing about how most of the country thinks and lives. Consider a few examples . . .
As Loesch writes, “Most of these pinkies-out, cocktail-drinking-appletini fans selfishly entertain grandiose plans of economic equality without realizing the negative impact their plans would have on the very people they pride themselves on helping. That’s the true class warfare.”
Loesch shines the light of truth on everything from feminism to gun violence to abortion. She reveals the damage done by elitists who flat-out don’t get the lives and values of people in the heart of the country. And she asks common sense questions such as: How can you be angry at Walmart if you’ve never shopped in one? How can you hate the police if you’ve never needed help from a cop? How can you attack Christians if you don’t have a single friend who goes to church?
In other words, how can you run a country you’ve never been to? And how much could our politics improve if Coastals would actually listen to their fellow Americans? But, of course, Coastals won't listen to their fellow Americans from the heartland, because they are so infused with a sense of moral superiority that they see the Flyovers as backward dolts who need to be told what to think and do.
Loesch's book is a rallying cry for anyone who wants our leaders to understand and respect the culture that made America exceptional in the first place.
- In Flyover America, people believe criminals should be punished. Coastal America focuses on “rehabilitation.”
- Flyovers think the Declaration of Independence was crystal clear: “All men are created equal.” For Coastals, Black Lives Matter—but anyone who adds that all lives matter must be a racist.
- Coastals think they understand firearms because they watched a TV movie about Columbine. Flyovers get a deer rifle for their thirteenth birthday.
- Coastals talk about blue-collar workers in the abstract. Flyovers have a relative who works the night shift in a granola bar factory, where the big perk is taking home a bag full of granola bars every Friday.
- Coastals think every problem—from hurt feelings to the cost of birth control—requires government intervention and huge federal spending. Flyovers know that money isn’t magic fairy dust, and many problems can be solved only by individual character and hard work.
As Loesch writes, “Most of these pinkies-out, cocktail-drinking-appletini fans selfishly entertain grandiose plans of economic equality without realizing the negative impact their plans would have on the very people they pride themselves on helping. That’s the true class warfare.”
Loesch shines the light of truth on everything from feminism to gun violence to abortion. She reveals the damage done by elitists who flat-out don’t get the lives and values of people in the heart of the country. And she asks common sense questions such as: How can you be angry at Walmart if you’ve never shopped in one? How can you hate the police if you’ve never needed help from a cop? How can you attack Christians if you don’t have a single friend who goes to church?
In other words, how can you run a country you’ve never been to? And how much could our politics improve if Coastals would actually listen to their fellow Americans? But, of course, Coastals won't listen to their fellow Americans from the heartland, because they are so infused with a sense of moral superiority that they see the Flyovers as backward dolts who need to be told what to think and do.
Loesch's book is a rallying cry for anyone who wants our leaders to understand and respect the culture that made America exceptional in the first place.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
University of Chicago Accidentally Proves That Gun Control Laws Don’t Work
From here, where there is more:
The city of Chicago has some of the toughest and strictest gun control laws on the books out of all the major cities in the entire country.Read the rest.
But every day the newspapers and TV stations of Chicago fill the airwaves with devastating reports showing innocent Americans being murdered by criminals carrying guns.
The city is a shining example of how gun control doesn’t stop criminals from obtaining and using guns to commit robbery and murder.
Instead of allowing law abiding Americans the chance to easily acquire a firearm for self-defense, politicians and public officials in Chicago call for harsher anti-gun measures almost daily.
The anti-gun crowd refuses to accept reality and the fact that criminals don’t obey gun control laws. They would rather disarm law abiding citizens who accept and obey the law.
A recent study by the University of Chicago proved this point after conducting a study to figure out how criminals in Chicago were acquiring their firearms.
Not surprisingly, administers of the study quickly learned these criminals do not acquire their guns from licensed dealers, private sellers, or even the Internet.
The study looked at inmates in Chicago’s Cook County Jail who face gun charges or who have a history of firearm related convictions.
They learned zero criminals have used gun shows or the Internet to purchase their weapons.
The reason why? The method is too easily traceable by law enforcement.
Instead, the preferred method for criminals was to purchase firearms available on the streets, where they are harder for law enforcement to track.
Harold Pollack, University of Chicago’s Crime Lab co-director, also said criminals, “were less concerned about getting caught by the cops than being put in the position of not having a gun to defend themselves and then getting shot.”
Sunday, August 07, 2016
About Those Palestinians...
From The New York Times, where there is more:
And in related news (also from The New York Times):
Fatah Makes Incendiary Facebook Claim of Killing 11,000 IsraelisRead the rest.
JERUSALEM — In an effort to appeal to Palestinians ahead of hotly contested elections, the party of President Mahmoud Abbas listed one of its main achievements as having “killed 11,000 Israelis.” [emphasis added]
The party, Fatah, made the incendiary claim on Tuesday in an Arabic-language post on one of its official Facebook pages.
“For the argumentative … the ignorant … And for those who do not know history,” begins the Facebook post, “The Fatah movement killed 11,000 Israelis.”
Fatah also claimed to have “offered 170,000 martyrs,” and hundreds of its followers, it said, were in “Israeli occupation jails.”
[...]
Israelis and Palestinians have long accused each other of incitement to violence. But in Israeli eyes, Palestinian leaders starting with Yasir Arafat, the father of Palestinian nationalism who helped found Fatah in 1959, have had a habit of saying one thing in Arabic and another in English.
In the early 2000s, at the height of the second Palestinian uprising, Mr. Arafat led crowds in the West Bank city of Ramallah in a chant of “To Jerusalem, we are going, martyrs in the millions!” days after writing an Op-Ed article in The New York Times about the Palestinian vision of peace.
Mr. Abbas, who succeeded Mr. Arafat, has repeatedly said he supports nonviolent resistance against the Israeli occupation. But Fatah has historically championed armed resistance as a central tenet of its doctrine for the liberation of the Palestinian people.
And in related news (also from The New York Times):
Israel Charges Aid Group’s [World Vision's] Gaza Branch Manager With Funneling Funds to HamasRead the rest.
ASHKELON, Israel — The Palestinian manager of the Gaza branch of World Vision, a major Christian aid organization, was charged by Israeli prosecutors on Thursday with infiltrating the charity on behalf of Hamas and funneling about $43 million in the group’s funds over the past six years to the military wing of the Islamist militant group.
Wednesday, August 03, 2016
Roe vs. Wade will be overturned if Donald Trump wins, Mike Pence says
As a follow up to my previous post...
From the Los Angeles Times:
From the Los Angeles Times:
GOP vice presidential nominee Mike Pence on Thursday predicted Roe vs. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion, would be overturned if Donald Trump is elected president.
“I’m pro-life and I don’t apologize for it,” he said during a town hall meeting here. “We’ll see Roe vs. Wade consigned to the ash heap of history where it belongs.”
The comments — made in a conservative stronghold that strongly supported Texas Sen. Ted Cruz over Trump in the Michigan primary — were part of a broader argument Pence has been making on the stakes of the election: Voters need to consider that the next president will likely select multiple Supreme Court justices.
Pence said Trump would appoint strict constitutionalists in the mold of the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
“While we’re choosing a president for the next four years, this next president will make decisions that will impact our Supreme Court for the next 40,” he said. “… Go tell your neighbors and your friends, for the sake of the rule of law, for the sake of sanctity of life, for the sake of our 2nd Amendment, for the sake of all our other God-given liberties, we must insure the next president appointing justices to the Supreme Court is Donald Trump.”
Monday, August 01, 2016
They actually used the "A" word...
Have you ever noticed how abortion “rights” supporters always try to hide their real agenda? They always refer to “women’s health care,” or a “right to privacy,” or a "right to choose"—as if we were talking about choosing chocolate or strawberry ice cream. But they never talk about the rights of the babies living in their mothers’ wombs.
You almost never hear them come out and use the word, “abortion.” Because they’re hiding something. They know it is wrong; and they know the majority of Americans believe it is wrong.
That is why it was surprising and, in a way, gratifying to hear Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood go on stage at the Democratic National Convention and tell the crowd that Hillary Clinton:
As we come down to 100 days until the next presidential election, we must consider Hillary Clinton’s pro-abortion extremism, and we must unify to elect leaders who will pass lifesaving laws and appoint pro-life judges and Supreme Court justices.
Because it’s not just Hillary. The entire Democratic National Convention was a celebration of abortion and the "progress" they have made, by which they meant the killing of millions of precious boys and girls who have been aborted since the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade.
In fact, the Democratic Platform Committee this year put forth the most pro-abortion platform EVER in their party’s history. The Democratic Platform includes provisions for:
It hasn't been reported much in the media (are we surprised?) but this year's Republican National Convention passed a platform that has been described as the most pro-life in the party's history. The cultural divide between the two parties has been growing ever since the presidencies of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan; but it is now more clearly defined and more serious in terms of the consequences for our country than ever before.
I urge you to do two things:
1. To contribute to a pro-life ministry--a crisis pregnancy center in your town, if there is one, or a local or national organization that is aimed at providing assistance to women with unexpected pregnancies or that is working to provide even greater protection for pre-born children. (If there isn't a crisis pregnancy center in your town, I urge you get together with some friends and start one. There are several national organizations, such as Care Net, that exist to help you.)
2. To vote for and to work to elect those candidates in this November's election who will advance the cause of life in our country and provide legal protection for unborn children and assistance to their parents. (We always speak of assistance to the mothers; but for every crisis pregnancy there is a father, too, who also needs spiritual and material assistance.)
Here are some organizations you might consider supporting:
The Susan B. Anthony List: https://www.sba-list.org
The National Right to Life Committee: http://www.nrlc.org
Care Net Pregnancy Centers: https://www.care-net.org
And, if you are an Anglican, as I am, please consider supporting Anglicans for Life: http://anglicansforlife.org
If you are a Christian of another tradition, there is information on pro-life organizations in your tradition through the National Pro-life Religious Council: http://www.nprcouncil.org
You almost never hear them come out and use the word, “abortion.” Because they’re hiding something. They know it is wrong; and they know the majority of Americans believe it is wrong.
That is why it was surprising and, in a way, gratifying to hear Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood go on stage at the Democratic National Convention and tell the crowd that Hillary Clinton:
“will always stand up for the rights of every woman to access a full range of reproductive health care, including abortion, no matter her economic status.”She told the horrifying truth: Hillary Clinton believes abortion — the killing of an innocent child — is not just a right, it is a taxpayer-funded entitlement—even when the baby is in the 9th month of pregnancy!
As we come down to 100 days until the next presidential election, we must consider Hillary Clinton’s pro-abortion extremism, and we must unify to elect leaders who will pass lifesaving laws and appoint pro-life judges and Supreme Court justices.
Because it’s not just Hillary. The entire Democratic National Convention was a celebration of abortion and the "progress" they have made, by which they meant the killing of millions of precious boys and girls who have been aborted since the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade.
In fact, the Democratic Platform Committee this year put forth the most pro-abortion platform EVER in their party’s history. The Democratic Platform includes provisions for:
- Abortions on babies old enough to live outside the womb.
- Repealing the “Hyde Amendment” so they can force you and me to pay for abortion on-demand with our tax dollars.
- Hundreds of millions of dollars for Planned Parenthood, the organization that has been caught on video discussing the harvest and sale of the body parts of babies they abort!
It hasn't been reported much in the media (are we surprised?) but this year's Republican National Convention passed a platform that has been described as the most pro-life in the party's history. The cultural divide between the two parties has been growing ever since the presidencies of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan; but it is now more clearly defined and more serious in terms of the consequences for our country than ever before.
I urge you to do two things:
1. To contribute to a pro-life ministry--a crisis pregnancy center in your town, if there is one, or a local or national organization that is aimed at providing assistance to women with unexpected pregnancies or that is working to provide even greater protection for pre-born children. (If there isn't a crisis pregnancy center in your town, I urge you get together with some friends and start one. There are several national organizations, such as Care Net, that exist to help you.)
2. To vote for and to work to elect those candidates in this November's election who will advance the cause of life in our country and provide legal protection for unborn children and assistance to their parents. (We always speak of assistance to the mothers; but for every crisis pregnancy there is a father, too, who also needs spiritual and material assistance.)
Here are some organizations you might consider supporting:
The Susan B. Anthony List: https://www.sba-list.org
The National Right to Life Committee: http://www.nrlc.org
Care Net Pregnancy Centers: https://www.care-net.org
And, if you are an Anglican, as I am, please consider supporting Anglicans for Life: http://anglicansforlife.org
If you are a Christian of another tradition, there is information on pro-life organizations in your tradition through the National Pro-life Religious Council: http://www.nprcouncil.org
Thursday, July 28, 2016
My Open Letter to Glenn Beck
Dear Mr. Beck, (Glenn Beck me@glennbeck.com, stu stu@glennbeck.com)
The media are abuzz with the story that you and Erick Erickson are working on an idea to prevent Donald Trump from winning the presidential election in the Electoral College and throwing the election into the House of Representatives.
Let me just ask: Do you remember what happened four years ago when a bunch of Evangelicals stayed home because they refused to support Mitt Romney because he was a Mormon? They gave us four more disastrous years of Obama.
You--of all people--ought to know what happens when there is disunity among Republicans: Democrats win.
I have been a died-in-the-wool Ted Cruz supporter throughout the whole campaign; and I will continue to support Senator Cruz and pray that he gets another chance in the future. But I am now reluctantly supporting Donald Trump because the simple fact is that a vote for ANYONE else is a vote for Hillary Clinton.
I was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1992, for what should have been George H.W. Bush's second term--until Ross Perot came along and took enough votes away in the general election that Bill Clinton won with only 43% of the popular vote.
Hillary is not Bill. The United States as we know it cannot survive a Hillary Clinton presidency. We cannot endure the people she will bring into office with her and the people she will appoint to the Supreme Court. It would be a presidency of unparalleled corruption and persecution of her ideological foes, the subversion of the Constitution, and truly the destruction of this once-great Republic.
If Trump loses, it will be tempting for you and other "never Trump" people to say, "See, we told you he couldn't defeat Hillary." But it will have been a self-fulfilling prophecy brought about by those who stayed home or voted for someone else when they could have saved us from a terrible fate.
Mr. Beck, a lot of other Conservatives have been critical of you in the past, but I have continued to support you and hold you in prayer. I implore you: Do not do this. Do not support a third party or an electoral maneuver to throw this election to some other candidate. I am seriously concerned that your remaining credibility among Conservatives will suffer irreparable harm if you continue to pursue this course.
As hard as it may be, get behind Donald Trump. Become the loyal opposition, if need be, during his presidency. Help hold him accountable. Pray for him. Help insure that he appoints ideologically sound justices to the Supreme Court. (Frankly, I have more confidence in Donald Trump than I do in Mitt Romney, or any of the other names being mentioned, when it comes to appointments.) You would be doing the country and your listeners a greater service by helping to unite Conservatives in defeating defeat Hillary Clinton.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
The media are abuzz with the story that you and Erick Erickson are working on an idea to prevent Donald Trump from winning the presidential election in the Electoral College and throwing the election into the House of Representatives.
Let me just ask: Do you remember what happened four years ago when a bunch of Evangelicals stayed home because they refused to support Mitt Romney because he was a Mormon? They gave us four more disastrous years of Obama.
You--of all people--ought to know what happens when there is disunity among Republicans: Democrats win.
I have been a died-in-the-wool Ted Cruz supporter throughout the whole campaign; and I will continue to support Senator Cruz and pray that he gets another chance in the future. But I am now reluctantly supporting Donald Trump because the simple fact is that a vote for ANYONE else is a vote for Hillary Clinton.
I was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1992, for what should have been George H.W. Bush's second term--until Ross Perot came along and took enough votes away in the general election that Bill Clinton won with only 43% of the popular vote.
Hillary is not Bill. The United States as we know it cannot survive a Hillary Clinton presidency. We cannot endure the people she will bring into office with her and the people she will appoint to the Supreme Court. It would be a presidency of unparalleled corruption and persecution of her ideological foes, the subversion of the Constitution, and truly the destruction of this once-great Republic.
If Trump loses, it will be tempting for you and other "never Trump" people to say, "See, we told you he couldn't defeat Hillary." But it will have been a self-fulfilling prophecy brought about by those who stayed home or voted for someone else when they could have saved us from a terrible fate.
Mr. Beck, a lot of other Conservatives have been critical of you in the past, but I have continued to support you and hold you in prayer. I implore you: Do not do this. Do not support a third party or an electoral maneuver to throw this election to some other candidate. I am seriously concerned that your remaining credibility among Conservatives will suffer irreparable harm if you continue to pursue this course.
As hard as it may be, get behind Donald Trump. Become the loyal opposition, if need be, during his presidency. Help hold him accountable. Pray for him. Help insure that he appoints ideologically sound justices to the Supreme Court. (Frankly, I have more confidence in Donald Trump than I do in Mitt Romney, or any of the other names being mentioned, when it comes to appointments.) You would be doing the country and your listeners a greater service by helping to unite Conservatives in defeating defeat Hillary Clinton.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Islamic State Killers Forced French Priest to Kneel Before Slitting His Throat
The murder of a priest and the wounding of one of his parishioners in Normandy was an act of terrorism carried out by two followers of Islamic State, the French president, François Hollande, has said.
The more details that emerge surrounding the gruesome lethal attack on a priest in northern France Tuesday, the more it appears that the attack could have been foreseen and perhaps prevented.
On Tuesday morning, two jihadists associated with the Islamic State entered the parish church of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy while 84-year-old Father Jacques Hamel was celebrating Mass in the company of several members of the parish. The assailants seized Father Hamel and slit his throat before taking the other members of the congregation as hostages.
A witness to the attack has described how the two men forced the 86-year-old priest, Father Jacques Hamel, to his knees, slit his throat and filmed themselves appearing to preach in Arabic at the altar.
The more details that emerge surrounding the gruesome lethal attack on a priest in northern France Tuesday, the more it appears that the attack could have been foreseen and perhaps prevented.
On Tuesday morning, two jihadists associated with the Islamic State entered the parish church of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy while 84-year-old Father Jacques Hamel was celebrating Mass in the company of several members of the parish. The assailants seized Father Hamel and slit his throat before taking the other members of the congregation as hostages.
A witness to the attack has described how the two men forced the 86-year-old priest, Father Jacques Hamel, to his knees, slit his throat and filmed themselves appearing to preach in Arabic at the altar.
The nun, named as Sister Danielle, was among five hostages who were taken when the men armed with knives reportedly entered the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, near Rouen, at 9.43am local time on Tuesday.
It turns out that the parish Church of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, the site of the assault, was on an Islamic State hit list recovered from suspected jihadist Sid Ahmed Ghlam, in April 2015. The 24-year-old Ghlam was arrested by French police, who believe he was a terrorist planning imminent attacks in France under the direction of Islamic State leaders.
After the arrest, police discovered a list of Catholic sites to be targeted by Islamic State terrorists, which included the location of Tuesday’s attack.
The beautiful sixteenth-century church of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray is a French heritage monument, to which a tower was added in the 17th century.
More importantly, the church also “happened” to be right next door to the Yahiya mosque of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, whose best-known worshiper was the notorious French jihadist executioner Maxime Hauchard.
Hauchard, who appeared in a video of the beheading of American aid worker Peter Kassig and 18 Syrian military captives in 2014, converted to Islam at the age of 17 and frequented the mosque of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, a stone’s throw from the parish church.
Several years ago, Islamic State recruiters contacted and enlisted Hauchard, who became involved in the 2014 takeover of Mosul. “My personal goal is martyrdom, obviously,” Hauchard said in a television interview.
Once in Syria, Hauchard changed his name to Abu Abdallah el Faransi and announced that he wanted to help militants found an Islamic caliphate.
On leaving the church Tuesday morning, the two terrorists shouted “Allahu Akhbar” before being shot by police, according to an eyewitness identified only as “Sylvie.”
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was their soldiers who carried out the barbaric assault.
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