Why Can’t Conservatives See…?

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This was a question on quora.com…

Why are so many Americans unable to see what Trump is?

Here’s my response…

Anytime you’re talking with someone who spends more time mocking the intelligence of their opponent then they do actually proving they have a point, you’re usually talking to someone who doesn’t have something to say as much as they’ve got something to hide.

While the Democrat party insisted that the border security was a problem that couldn’t be solved, President Trump secured the border. What was a situation where hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants were streaming into our country, that no longer is happening (BBC).

The Inflation Reduction Act was peddled as an economic boost, when, in fact, it was the largest climate investment in U.S. history, dedicating approximately $369 billion to limit greenhouse gas emissions (americanprogress.org) It had promised a reduction in inflation which was at 2.25% when it passed. A year later, it was at 5.25% (heritage.org).

Meanwhile, President Trump has successfully secured roughly $10 trillion in new domestic investment, onshoring jobs and revitalizing American manufacturing. And while critics want to question the substance of promises made by countries that agreed to invest only when threatened with increased tariffs, the fact is you have American financial interests being championed in the context of fair trade agreements and a positive return on investments – something the Democrat party can only talk about yet never really achieve apart from manipulating the numbers…

  • United Arab Emirates: $1.4 trillion committed over the next decade.
  • Qatar: $1.2 trillion in bilateral economic exchange.’Japan: $1 trillion in pledged investments.
  • Saudi Arabia: $600 billion committed over a four-year period.
  • South Korea: $450 billion committed to U.S. energy products. (whitehouse.gov)

Your party has tried to kill Trump on four different occasions. You ignore results, you make excuses, your ideas don’t work, and, more often than not, you are the very thing you claim to despise.

It’s not Conservatives that are having a hard time “seeing” what’s real. We’re watching your world of nonsensical and unsustainable ideas revealed for what they are, as well as the pointless claim of victimhood your use to ensure you’re never evaluated just accommodated.

…and we love the view!

Imaginary Sermon

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Brothers and sisters in Christ, greetings!

I come before you today in the Name of Christ Who, with His death and Resurrection, destroyed every social construct that would otherwise be used by sinful men to restrict the rights and opportunities that God gives to every man ❶.

We are here today to consider the tragic death of George Floyd and to determine if his death is the result of a wicked mindset manifested in the actions of ones entrusted with the role of keeping the peace. ❷

We, as a culture, have been conditioned to project any one of a number of assumptions on to scenarios such as these and believe that it is all part of the insidious sin of Racism our ancestors had to endure for centuries. But I come to you in the Name of Christ today to remind you that we become the very thing we claim to despise if we first do not mediate on the Truth of Scripture which is what gives Divine Credence to our cause. ❸

Here me.

You Who Pass Judgment Do the Same Things

If we do not call out these officers by name and instead condemn the entire law enforcement community –   if we do not address those individuals within the system who are corrupt and instead  indict the entire system… Are we not doing the very thing that we accuse others of doing to us? ❹

Set Them an Example

Moreover, when we take the stand in the court of public opinion, how does our testimony resonate in the minds of the jury? It says in Proverbs 3:1-4:

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. (Prov 3:1-4)

Later in chapter 22, it says;

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. (Prov 22:1)

As believers, you bear the Name of Christ. As a son and as a daughter you bear the name of your forefathers and of your immediate family. It is because of this Truth, that your reputation is so important because your actions reflect, not only on yourself, but also on those whose name you bear. ❺

What is our reputation?

  • 41% of our young people drop out of High School
  • 70% of our infants are born out of wedlock.
  • Combine that with the fact that while we account for only 13% of our nation’s total citizenry,  the population of our country’s prisons are 34% African American.

When a police officer kisses his wife good bye in the morning, there is an unspoken reality that he is seeing his bride for the last time given the risks he takes to serve and protect. Does our reputation put him at ease or does it put him on his guard? Is our reputation such where the words we speak are immediately embraced as the legitimate concerns that they are or does our notoriety drown out the voice of our hurting and the sound of our appeal? ❻

Jesus said you will know a tree by its fruit. What sort of produce do our collective vineyards yield? Is it characterized by law abiding citizens or arrest records?  Do we have more abortion clinics than nurseries? Does it boast a rich collection of graduates or a large number of empty classrooms? Are we collectively setting an example that compliments our cause or does it distract from it?

We Each Are Responsible

We accuse our own within the law enforcement community of being corrupt, we assault the character of anyone who dares to suggest that our bad reputation is deserved, we complain that the system is rigged, that our image is distorted and even now, we prepare to protest the newest appearance of Police Brutality because we believe that it was not only Racism that caused the death of George Floydm but it’s Racism that’s to blame for all the adversity we contend with. ❼

But to what extent do our collective actions place us in the position we’re in? Are we victims of a biased infrastructure or are we merely victims of our own immoral decision making? ❽ We complain that the police project on to every one of us the trouble and the harm they have suffered at the hands of our brethren. But should not a portion of our indignation be directed to those of us who are lawless instead of hating the one who enforces the law? ❾

We burn the flag that elects a black man as president, we spurn the anthem that destroyed slavery, we denounce the system that gives us free education and all the while it is our fathers who are leaving, it is our grades that are lacking and it is our own that we are killing.

If our platform is to have any credibility –  if our indignation is to resonate as righteous –  than we cannot be hypocritical in our accusations, we must set an example in our conduct and we must take responsibility for our actions.

Regardless of Race

And it is here where I would pause and remind you that at this point I do not speak only to those who are gathered in this sanctuary, but to all men regardless of race. We stifle the resolution we seek by referring to men as either black or white. And ladies, I beseech you to hear me include you when I say, “men” in that I’m referring to all humanity.

We are not “white,” we are not “black” we are all God’s offspring ❿  and we are all therefore obligated to not only hold the Bible we own with our hands, but to obey the God it proclaims with our whole heart. ➀

More Than An Authority

As an officer of the law, you are tasked with keeping the peace and assuming all suspects are innocent until proven guilty. Even those whose records are tarnished with past mistakes, the Bible rebukes those who make false assumptions. ➁

Your badge must be more than an authority, it must also be an example. And however you are maligned and even threatened, your response must go beyond being merely “smart,” you have to be “wise.” ➂

And I am not suggesting that by being “wise,” you are therefore restricted from using deadly force. It’s not that you are restricted as much as you are resolved to kill only when it’s appropriate to do so. And yes, there are times when it’s appropriate to kill. ➃ But there is also a time to heal and you must be able to make that distinction.

Should it be determined that you are using your position to lord it over those who are obligated to obey, you are identified in Scripture as a wicked oppressor and a false teacher and there is a special kind of destruction awaiting you on Judgement Day. ➄

To those who are breaking the law, in whatever capacity, know this: You are not just violating a human regulation, you are breaking a Divine Directive. If you commit murder, if you steal, you not only incur the righteous wrath of of the law, you also sin against God.➅

Just like the Police Officer who has to answer to a Higher Standard than his immediate supervisor, you also have to answer to a Higher Law. And should your behavior be revealed as violent and disrespectful when you are apprehended, you do nothing but add to your guilt both in the sight of your jurors as well as in the sight of your King. ❾

It’s Not Only the Law That You Are Breaking

And to those who murder, steal and destroy and excuse it as a reasonable reaction to “not being heard” or a “miscarriage of justice,” let me remind you that the moment you break the law, you are no longer a protester or an activist, you are a criminal and, again,  it is not only the law that you are breaking, it is your God that you are offending – especially if you do your wanton acts insisting that you represent a godly disposition ➆.

What Are We Doing?

In the sixties, a number of extraordinary people emerged who had labored beneath the weight of racial prejudice and went on to accomplish some amazing things:

  • Rosa Parks was a soft spoken black woman whose refusal to surrender her seat because of her race would inspire the Montgomery Bus Boycott and lead to her being honored with the Medal of Freedom in 1996.
  • James Meredith was a nine year veteran of the United States Air Force who would go on to become the first black American to attend the University of Mississippi despite the riots his enrollment inspired which would be dispersed only with the intervention of Federal Troops.
  • Percy Julian is one of the most influential chemists in American history despite his not being able to attend High School and had to study abroad in order to secure his doctorate because of his color.
  • Barbara Jordan grew up in a poor, black neighborhood in Houston, Texas and, despite the challenges of being an African American in an area where Jim Crow laws was common, she was nevertheless able to make history by being the first black female in congress to come from the deep south.

These are among the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement. They inspired change, in part, by presenting an argument that reeked of moral and professional excellence. By living and performing in a manner that was beyond reproach, they were able to silence the criticisms that would’ve otherwise distracted from the injustices they sought to resolve and the result was dramatic ➇.

Today, we are instructed to embrace an entirely different kind of individual and and honor them in the same way we do the noble persons who carried the baton of the Civil Rights issue decades ago.

  • George Floyd had a criminal record that included five arrests and five years spent in prison for aggravated robbery.
  • Rodney King, at the time of his arrest in 1991, had been sentenced to two years in prison for robbing a convenience store armed with a tire iron.
  • Freddie Gray had been arrested on multiple occasions for drug related crimes.

In each case, you have a person that had a criminal record and was resisting arrest when they were initially apprehended. Now, rather than being able to prosecute our cause in the context of moral courage and professional excellence, we are seen as accusing others of being unprincipled when our champions seemingly have no principles ourselves. ⑨

What are we doing?

If we would answer that question with a response that included successful appeals for justice and productive conversations that yielded positive results, we need to cease all attempts to qualify an event by asking whether or not it involved a black man or a white man and instead ask whether or not it involved a good man – be they the one being arrested or the one that is making the arrest. And if Christ really did die and come back to life, than the definition of a good man is a godly man, can I get an “Amen?”

Let Us Move Forward

Let us move forward, then, by refusing to express our concerns in the context of labels, mobs and crowds. Let us avoid becoming the very thing we claim to despise by  by directing our questions to the individuals involved and not the institutions they represent. Let us labor to be living manifestations of the moral excellence we would demand in others. Let us move beyond race and instead look at one another as fellow soldiers battling our eternal enemy as a unified force, sanctified by the blood of Christ and empowered by His Holy Spirit. And let our cause be a racially diverse venture that battles true bigotry by holding up specific instances of moral excellence responded to with an undeniably sinful bias- and not the flawed campaigns triggered by legitimate arrests and prosecuted with even more criminal activity.

That is how you effectively assert the Truth of your God, that is how you lead by example and that is how you effect true and enduring change. Let us move forward and let us pray now for both the Strength and the Wisdom to do just that.

Lets’ pray…

❶ There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:28)

❷ When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan. (Prov 29:2)

❸ Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. (Prov 16:32)

❹ You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. (Rom 2:1)

❺ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. (Is 43:6-7 [emphasis added]) On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. (Jn 14:20)

❻ In the same way, let your light shine before men so that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matt 5:16) In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. (Titus 2:7-8)

❼ He repays everyone for what they have done; he brings on them what their conduct deserves. (Job 34:11) When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord. (Prov 19:3) Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct. (Gal 6:4-5 [NLT])

❽ Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? (Prov 6:27-28)

❾ For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. (Rom 13:4) Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness but rather expose them. (Eph 5:11)

❿ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. (col 1:16)

➀ Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (Jas 1:22)

➁ Do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame? (Prov 25:8) Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. (Ecc 5:2)

➂ “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Cor 2:16) My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, (Jas 1:19)

➃ a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, (Ecc 3:3)

➄ Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people. (Prov 28:15) But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They will even deny the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Even so, many will follow their licentious ways, and because of these teachers the way of truth will be maligned. And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Pet 2:1-3)

➅ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. (Ps 51:3-4)

➆ You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. (Ex 20:7)

➇ For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. (1 pet 2:15)

⑨ “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matt 7:1-2)

Hodge Twins

Copy / Paste

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You always want to be explain what you believe and why (1 Pet 3:15). You never want to be guilty of simply “copying and pasting” what someone else said and use that as the basis for your convictions.

There’s a lot of that going on today. You’ll hear people rant about policies and personalities, yet when you look at what they use to justify their indignation, you’re met with what sounds like a script that they’ve just copied and pasted from their favorite news outlet.

There’s nothing wrong with citing a credible resource, but you want to make sure that it’s credible before you refer to it as conclusive.

Fact is, it’s possible to be honest without telling the whole truth.

  • Some will pose as outraged by a particular behavior, yet are suspiciously silent when that same behavior is exhibited in those they support.
  • Others are critical of the accomplishments of those they disagree with, yet applaud those same accomplishments when done by those they admire.

It’s more than a double standard, because you have to have a standard to begin with in order for it to be duplicated.

If you’re among those that define an “open mind” as someone who will say things like, “What’s true for you isn’t necessarily true for me,” you’ve declared yourself to be utterly meaningless, because, according to your own logic, a person can accuse you of being a liar and not be wrong.

You want to “evaluate” all of the relevant facts based on their substance and relevance to the issue being discussed. You don’t want to simply “eliminate” those facts that are credible, yet contradict the conclusion that aligns with what you want to hear. However compelling an appeal for pity may sound, it’s revealed as a fool’s paradise when it’s determined that the pain they’re feeling is a result of them having shot themselves in the foot.

If you want to be taken seriously, you want to be able to demonstrate the fact that you have evaluated the facts and not just eliminated the facts you don’t want to consider. You do that by being able to explain what you believe and why you believe it, and that’s not accomplished by simply “copying and pasting” from your preferred collection of resources.

The Elimination of Tension

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Some in our society today want to define “love” as being the elimination of tension.

There’s no confrontation, no correction…

…just affirmation.

When you trace that line of reasoning to its inevitable conclusion, you have a situation where

  • Law Enforcement (Rom 13:4-5)
  • Discipline (Prov 15:10; Prov 25:28)
  • Education (Prov 4:13; 18:15)
  • Personal Responsibility (Rom 14:12; Gal 6:5)
  • Moral Courage (Josh 1:9; Prov 28:1; 1 Cor 16:13)
  • and a healthy Work Ethic (Prov 6:6; Matt 25:14-30)…

…are all regarded as detrimental.

Even the concept of God’s Grace becomes toxic because of the way it implies that a person needs to be forgiven (Prov 14:9; 28:26; 30:12; Lk 18:11-12; 1 Jn 1:8).

Love is often manifested as a person’s willingness to endure the tension that occurs when a commitment to another’s welfare is perceived as an assault on their happiness (Prov 27:6; Heb 12:2).

That kind of love is rare, but it’s the only kind that is real (Prov 27:5).

Everything else is a cowardly imitation posing as compassion (Prov 27:6; 29:5; Lk 22:47-48).

What Does it Mean to Love Your Enemy? | Part II

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Neither Biblical nor Noble

This is Part 2 of a 3 part series where we’re looking at how you are to love your enemy.

When you remain silent in the face of evil, you’re able to effectively insulate yourself from the attacks that come from those who want to silence anyone who would dare to point out their sinister actions and intent.

However sinful it may be (Gal 2:11-21; Jas 4:17), it’s an alluring way to remain on the sidelines so as to avoid the real conflict that’s happening on the field and the opposition you would otherwise have to contend with.

But when you look at Scripture as a whole, you are compelled to concede that remaining either silent or accommodating is neither biblical let alone noble.

These days, Politics and Current Events tend to be processed according to two very different worldviews.

One sees evil as something to be accommodated, the other sees it as something to be resisted.

Those who see evil as something that needs to be accommodated need to position it as something to pity. You don’t have to get someone to agree with you if you can get them to feel sorry for you.

You see that often in the Bible beginning in Genesis 3 when the serpent suggests to Eve that God is both afraid and resentful:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:1-5)

Satan begins by suggesting that God had denied Adam and Even the ability to eat from any tree, He asserts the idea that God is unnecessarily harsh, which, by default, makes Adam and Eve victims of an overbearing administration. Then in verse 5 he suggests that God is secretly intimidated at the thought of Adam and Eve becoming more than what they are right now.

What was a generous provision is now seen as an unnecessary restriction imposed by a mindset characterized by fear and hate.

Poison Disguised as a Courtesy

However obvious it may be from a distance, it can be difficult to see up close because of the way compliance with an evil premise is often justified as an act of compassion.

  • Aaron’s part in building the golden calf (Ex 32:22-23)
  • Israel’s demand for a king (1 Sam 8:6-9)
  • Saul disobeys God by sparing King Agag and the best of the livestock (1 Sam 15:7-10)
  • King Herod’s request to the Magi to tell him where Jesus was born (Matt 2:7-8, 13)
  • Judas complaining about the perfume used to anoint Christ, saying that it should’ve been sold and the money given to the poor (Jn 12:1-8)

In each of the above scenarios, you have a situation where sin was concealed as a healthy and logical compromise. But what appeared to be rational and even noble, was a poison disguised as a courtesy.

The Right Questions

While discerning the difference between a legitimate request for mercy and a selfish demand for immunity is not always easy, you can gain some visibility into what’s actually the case by asking the right questions.

Accusations can be denied, and facts can be disputed. But a simple question left insufficiently answered cannot be ignored. With the right question, you’re able to proceed directly to that place where there’s either an answer or an excuse, and that’s an important dynamic to have in place in order to prevent a lie from being embraced as the truth.

Today’s political climate is frequently punctuated with soundbytes and snapshots that are presented as holistic perspectives on a particular issue. The result is a toxic environment where falsehoods are concealed behind cries for compassion and anything that has the capacity to reveal the truth is demonized as ignorant and tyrannical.

For example, the following was circulated on Social Media as an attempt to accuse anyone who supports the current administration as being less than Christlike. However compelling it may appear to be on the surface, its flaws from both a biblical and logical perspective are revealed simply by asking the right questions.

You’ll see the original post on the left with the “right questions” listed on the right.

post the right questions

Through the White House Office of Faith, the Trump administration has racked up several significant accomplishments on behalf of America’s faith based community which include:

Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias – In 2023, the Biden Administration labeled people of faith as domestic terror threats for opposing abortion and transgender ideologies. Paulette Harlow, a 75 year old grandmother confined to a wheel chair was arrested for “obstructing” an Abortion Clinic and sentenced to 2 years in prison. This was typical of the Biden DOJ. The Trump Administration, through the “White House Office of Faith” pardoned Harlow as well as several others who were imprisoned for their “terrorist” activities.

The Department of Veterans Affairs rescinded a Biden-era speech code that censored the sermons of military chaplains – Russell Trubey was a chaplain in a Pennsylvania VA medical center for 10 years. After delivering a sermon at the center’s chapel on Romans 1, police approached him alleging complaints were reported about the content of his message. He was removed from his duties and reassigned to stock shelves in the hospital. The Trump Administration rescinded that action and reinforced the fact that chaplains can preach in accordance with their faith without fear of persecution.

Establishment of the Religious Liberty Commission – Compelling statistics reveal a disproportionate bias against Christian universities during the Biden era. Outrageous fines that were, in some instances, the largest dollar amounts in history, were levied against faith based colleges for identical infractions committed by secular institutions that were not punished to the same extent. This anomaly was seen, not just in academia, but in a number of instances pertaining to funding and tax exempt status.

For a complete listing of the Trump Administration’s accomplishments in the context of faith based initiatives, click here.
You can’t spend Sunday morning in church praising Jesus, talking about love, compassion, mercy, humility, honesty, and caring for the vulnerable, then spend Sunday afternoon defending an administration that does the exact opposite. Are you being being like Christ by insisting that everyone who is breaking into your neighbor’s house is only doing so because they’re hungry? And how are you not being hypocritical if you’re telling your nethat they should leave its doors open when yours are locked and you’ve got a security system in place?
And before someone says, “But I’m a Republican,” let me remind you of something: God doesn’t serve political parties. Jesus didn’t die for Democrats. Jesus didn’t die for Republicans. He didn’t wear a red hat or a blue one. He didn’t tell people to pick a team and hate the other side. He called people to love their neighbor, care for the poor, welcome the stranger, seek truth, show mercy, and hold the powerful accountable. You can’t praise the Good Samaritan while cheering policies that target immigrants and asylum seekers. Is it against the law to enter this country illegally?

How were the “foreigners” and “strangers” in Scripture treated when they broke the law? (Lev 24:17-22)

Loving your enemy, at the very least, means that you are working to promote their welfare. How are you doing that by enabling their illegal behavior?
You can’t celebrate “love thy neighbor” while mocking the poor, cutting assistance for struggling families, and treating human suffering like a political talking point. You can’t talk about protecting children while separating families, demonizing entire communities, and creating fear as a governing strategy. How am I “loving my neighbor” by ignoring fraud?

Why are you blaming law enforcement for separating families when it was the parents who put their families in that position to begin with?

Is it not common for guilty people to be afraid of being caught (Rom 13:3-4)?
Jesus fed the hungry. He didn’t ask for their paperwork first. Jesus healed the sick. He didn’t check their political party. Jesus stood with the marginalized. He didn’t use them as campaign props. Jesus challenged the powerful. He didn’t worship them. This administration has normalized cruelty, retaliation, greed, vengeance, dishonesty, scapegoating, and the constant division of Americans against one another. It attacks journalists, demonizes opponents, mocks compassion as weakness, treats empathy as a flaw, and encourages people to view fellow Americans as enemies rather than neighbors. How would you expect someone who’s guilty of fraud and deceit to react when they’re revealed for who and what they are?

What’s the purpose of division according to 1 Corinthians 11:19?

Which party is it that refers to its opponents as Nazis?
The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Ask yourself honestly: are those the values being demonstrated? Or are we seeing anger, fear, revenge, hostility, insults, loyalty tests, culture wars, and endless outrage? You don’t have to be a Democrat to see it. You don’t have to be liberal to see it. You just have to compare what Jesus taught with what this administration celebrates. Does love delight in evil? And is it not evil to ignore the rule of law (Rom 13:4)?
If your politics require you to ignore cruelty, excuse corruption, justify lies, or abandon compassion, then politics has become your religion and your politician has become your idol. God doesn’t have a political team. Jesus doesn’t wear a campaign hat. What does the Bible say about a fool’s reaction to discipline (Prov 15:7, 10)?

If truth is whatever an individual wants to believe, then how else would they react to correction if not by labeling it as cruel, corrupt, and lacking in compassion?
And no politician is important enough to place above the values you claim to believe in every Sunday morning. Why would I not support a politician who enforces the rule of law, deploys a foreign policy that’s characterized by actions and not just words, and calls out falsehoods when he sees them?

What Does it Mean to Love Your Enemy? | Part I

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This is a three part series that responds to a couple of social media posts denigrating ICE, the deportation of illegal immigrants, and the overall tone of President Trump’s leadership.

Most of the rhetoric is based on a distorted interpretation of what the Bible means, as far as “loving your enemy.” At the very minimum…

  • It’s not “hate” to rightfully identify illegal / sinful behavior (Lk 17:3; Rom 13:4-5).
  • You’re not being Christlike by ignoring fraud (Prov 6:12-19; 11:1).
  • Foreigners and strangers are biblically commanded to obey the law (Lev 24:17-22)
  • You are not “loving your neighbor” by encouraging them to ignore those laws that apply to them (Rom 13:3-4).

You can download the Bible study that talks about how to love your enemy by clicking on the links below…

• “How To Love Your Enemy” (Leader Guide)
• “How To Love Your Enemy” (Listening Sheet)

What Does it Mean?

What does it mean to love your enemy?

There are some people who believe that Christ’s command to love one’s enemy means to encourage and applaud them, regardless of their behavior.

Consider the following:

command verse
Do not resist an evil person. Turn the other cheek, do not resist, go the extra mile 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. (Matt 5:38-40)
Do not judge Do not judge, or you too will be judged. (Matt 7:1)
Don’t be critical Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Eph 4:29)
Don’t be angry 19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. (Jas 1:19-20)
Love your enemy, pray for those who persecute you 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matt 5:43-48)

 

If we stop right here, then it’s very reasonable to believe that, when it comes to those who qualify as our “enemy,” we should never direct towards them any criticism or correction. Anything that has the potential to make them feel uncomfortable is at least cruel if not contrary to the Word of God.

And what makes it even more compelling is that when you look at the word “love,” as it’s used in Luke 10:27 where we’re told to “love the Lord your God…,” it’s the same word in the Greek:

Agape.

Agape love is described as:

…the goodwill and benevolence of God shown in self-sacrifice and an unconditional commitment to the loved one. Agape is similar to chesed in that it is steadfast, regardless of circumstances. Agape love is the kind of love we are to have for God in fulfillment of the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37). Jesus wants to instill agape in His followers as we serve others through the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 22:39; John 13:34) (gotquestions.org).

So, we are to love God, each other, and our enemies with “agape” love which, incidentally, is the same word that describes the kind of love God has for us.

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn 13:34-35)

If “love” is nothing more than a perpetual affirmation of a person, then it would follow that nothing is inappropriate or deserving of condemnation. After all, we’re not supposed to judge (Matt 7:1), which further reinforces the idea that there’s no room for any kind of criticism in the heart of a true follower of Christ.

No one is immoral, there are no criminals, there are no threats, borders, or opponents. There is only love and acceptance.

Real Love in Action

But you find yourself having to reevaluate that perspective when you consider the way love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Cor 13:4-7)

Agape love doesn’t delight in evil. Matthew Henry’s Commentary elaborates on that by saying, “It is the very height of malice to take pleasure in the misery of a fellow-creature. And is not falling into sin the greatest calamity that can befal one? How inconsistent is it with Christian charity, to rejoice at such fall!”

So, it makes sense, then, that, if you love your enemy, you’re going to promote their welfare by helping them avoid the consequences of sin.

And how do you do that?

Well, how did Jesus do it?

the actions of Christ verse
He resisted evil

13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. [14] [b]15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!

33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation. (Matt 23:13-36 [see also Matt 3:7; 12:34)
He judged 20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.[e] For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” (Matt 11:20-24)
He was critical

Peter:  23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (Matt 16:23)

Pharisees: Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’[a] and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[b] 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:  8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain;  their teachings are merely human rules.’[c]” (Matt 15:1-9)

Herod: 31 At that very hour some Pharisees came up and said to Him, “Leave and go away from here, because Herod [Antipas] wants to kill You.” 32 And He said to them, “Go and tell that fox [that sly, cowardly man], ‘Listen carefully: I cast out demons and perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I reach My goal.’ (Lk 13:31-32 [AMP])
He got angry 12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[e] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’[f]” (Matt 21:12-13)
He will punish His enemies and banish those who persecuted Him.

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matt 25:31-46)

 

In addition to the fact that Jesus did criticize, judge, and resist evil, when you consider the way in which God empowered the Israelites in the context of their military endeavors, it’s obvious that “loving your enemy” means something more than just being accommodating  (Ps 44:3).

You’re Not Being Kind If…

You’re not being kind if you’re making it easier for someone to sin. Nor are you loving your enemy, let alone your neighbor or family member, by enabling their disobedience. That would be like offering a glass of water to Adam and Eve so they can better digest the fruit they’re eating (Gen 3:6).

Fact is, you are being disobedient by not calling out bad behavior, given what it says in Ephesians 5:11:

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (Eph 5:11 [see also Jas 4:17])

When you consider the whole of God’s Word, and not just random verses taken out of context, a believer’s response to evil looks much different than the accommodating applause that is often promoted by our society today.

Do not judge…

That’s not a direct quote from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus never said not to judge. The verse in its entirety is, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (Matt 7:1) What Jesus was saying here is to not be hypocritical by criticizing something in a person’s behavior when you’re doing the same thing. Bear in mind that in John 7:24, Jesus says to stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly. You can’t expose the fruitless works of darkness without “judging” whether or not what you’re seeing is, in fact, sinful. Galatians 6:1 instructs those who are spiritually capable to help restore someone who’s been caught doing something wrong. Again, you can’t correctly identify wrongful behavior unless you’re judging.

gotquestions.org sums it up very well…

The Bible’s command that we not judge others does not mean we cannot show discernment. Immediately after Jesus says, “Do not judge,” He says, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs” (Matthew 7:6). A little later in the same sermon, He says, “Watch out for false prophets. . . . By their fruit you will recognize them” (verses 15–16). How are we to discern who are the “dogs” and “pigs” and “false prophets” unless we have the ability to make a judgment call on doctrines and deeds? Jesus is giving us permission to tell right from wrong.

Do not defend yourself…

Jesus told His disciples to get a sword, and if they didn’t have one, to sell their coat and go buy one…

36-37He said, “This is different. Get ready for trouble. Look to what you’ll need; there are difficult times ahead. Pawn your coat and get a sword. What was written in Scripture, ‘He was lumped in with the criminals,’ gets its final meaning in me. Everything written about me is now coming to a conclusion.” (Luke 22:36-37 [MSG])

The NIV Text Note reads:

buy one – An extreme figure of speech used to warn them of the perilous times about to come. They could need defense and protection, as Paul did when he appealed to Caesar (Acts 25:11) as the one who “bears the sword” (Rom 13:4)

The Bible is rife with military action, armed escorts, and multiple examples of “sanctified violence” which make it abundantly clear that there are times when the use of force is both encouraged and, in many instances, empowered by God Himself. (see also Conquest of the Promised Land [Josh 6:20-21; Josh 11:20], Gideon [Jud 7], David defending Israel by attacking the Philistines [1 Sam 23:1-2], Building the Wall [Neh 4:13])

Love your enemy…

Agape love in practice is to be constantly encouraging the object of your love in a positive direction. You are not “loving your enemy” by subsidizing their bad behavior or ignoring the Standard that defines it. You do that by alerting them to the pain and the problems that lie just beyond the sin that they’re getting ready to commit. Confrontation and criticism are both represented in the example of Christ and we are commanded to be Christlike, not only by calling out bad behavior, but also in way we do it (Ps 141:5; Prov 12:18; 25:11; 27:5-6; Matt 18:15-17; Gal 6:1).

Scripture as a Whole

When you remain silent in the face of evil, not only do you bring judgment upon yourself (Jas 4:17), you effectively insulate yourself from the attacks that come from those who want to silence anyone who would dare to point out their sinister actions and intent, which is frowned upon as well (Gal 2:11-21).

However sinful it may be, it’s an alluring way to remain on the sidelines so as to avoid the real conflict that’s happening on the field and the opposition you would have to contend with.

But when you look at Scripture as a whole, you are compelled to concede that remaining either silent or accommodating is neither biblical let alone noble.

What does it mean to love your enemy? At the very least, it means that you commit yourself to their welfare by helping them to avoid the consequences of bad decisions. You don’t do that by making it easier for them to fail or enabling the harm they would do to themselves and others.

Voter Fraud

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The House just passed the SAVE Act – legislation I cosponsored to safeguard the integrity of our elections by requiring proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. ThisThere’s Nothing to See Here

If you do a search online for “voter fraud,” among the first articles that come up is one that comes from the Brennan Center for Justice entitled, “The Myth of Voter Fraud.” At one point in the article, it says:

Politicians at all levels of government have repeatedly, and falsely, claimed the 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections were marred by large numbers of people voting illegally. However, extensive research reveals that fraud is very rare, voter impersonation is virtually nonexistent, and many instances of alleged fraud are, in fact, mistakes by voters or administrators. The same is true for mail ballots, which are secure and essential to holding a safe election amid the coronavirus pandemic.1

That is the idea proliferated throughout the mainstream media; that voter fraud is rare and therefore irrelevant to any discussion pertaining to the validity of election results.

The problem with that assessment is that it doesn’t make the distinction between the existence of fraud and the extent to which it can be prosecuted. If you can’t prove it in a court of law, it’s assumed that it doesn’t happen.

Look at What All is There

The SAVE Act

Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act or the SAVE Act

This bill requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

Specifically, the bill prohibits states from accepting and processing an application to register to vote in a federal election unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill specifies what documents are considered acceptable proof of U.S. citizenship, such as identification that complies with the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates U.S. citizenship.

Further, the bill (1) prohibits states from registering an individual to vote in a federal election unless, at the time the individual applies to register to vote, the individual provides documentary proof of U.S. citizenship; and (2) requires states to establish an alternative process under which an applicant may submit other evidence to demonstrate U.S. citizenship.

Each state must take affirmative steps on an ongoing basis to ensure that only U.S. citizens are registered to vote, which shall include establishing a program to identify individuals who are not U.S. citizens using information supplied by certain sources.

Additionally, states must remove noncitizens from their official lists of eligible voters.

The bill allows for a private right of action against an election official who registers an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.

The bill establishes criminal penalties for certain offenses, including registering an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. (congress.gov)

To fully appreciate the scope of voter fraud, you first want to understand the multiple ways in which a fraudulent ballot can be cast.

  • Forging signatures on petitions
  • Voting out of jurisdiction
  • Voting more than once
  • Voting while ineligible
  • Voting for deceased or inactive voters still on the active roster
  • Voting on behalf of someone not mentally capable of voting
  • Stuffing the ballot box (there are several ways to do this)
  • Altering official counts (electronically or on paper)
  • Destroying ballots or records during required retention periods
  • Registering ineligible persons (illegal immigrants etc)
  • Registering fictitious identities to vote
  • Inflating voter rolls (such as false registrations or by not removing known deceased, moved and ineligible voters as required by law)
  • Paying someone to vote
  • Coercing someone to vote
  • Using physical violence, threats or intimidation to discourage voting
  • Misdirecting voters (providing false polling date, time, location)
  • Certifying false statements or documents
  • Access disparities (providing unequal polling place locations or core resources per capita – excessive lines and unreasonable inconvenience may discourage and suppress voters in targeted areas)
  • Improperly accepting or rejecting absentee or mail-in ballots
  • Ballot harvesting schemes (there are a few super-easy ways to cheat)
  • Swearing false oaths (such as vouching for someone living in a particular district when they don’t)

It’s not difficult to cheat, but what’s even more difficult is to prove it court. For example…

Voting with a false identity is nearly impossible to prosecute after the fact, because there logically can be no list of people who don’t exist and if two votes by the same person are detected, short of an admission, there is no way to know for certain who cast the second fraudulent ballot. This is why properly identifying voters before they cast a ballot is important. Once in the box, ballots are anonymous. There’s no way to fish back out a fraudulent ballot once it’s been cast. 2

The best way to prevent voter fraud is to require proper ID when you vote.

A Photo ID

What’s So Bad About Voter ID Laws?
Voter ID laws have long been debated in the United States. While supporters argue that voter photo ID laws are necessary to prevent voter fraud and ensure the integrity of elections, reality tells a different story. Not only do these measures disproportionately impact Black, Native, elderly, and student voters, but they also fail to effectively address any real issues related to election integrity — the very thing advocates say these measures are designed to do. (League of Women Voters)

You need a photo ID to:

  • Travel: Boarding commercial flights (TSA checkpoints), checking into hotels, or renting a car.
  • Government/Legal: Voting, applying for a marriage license, visiting federal buildings, or entering military bases.
  • Age-Restricted Purchases: Buying alcohol, tobacco, or tobacco-related products at retailers or bars.
  • Financial & Professional: Opening a bank account, withdrawing large sums of cash, or starting a new job (Form I-9).
  • Medical & Security: Picking up prescriptions at a pharmacy or entering a secured workplace.

To insist that requiring proper identification is a form of oppression and should not be required is absurd (see sidebar). When you consider the above mentioned activities that require a photo ID, it’s pretty obvious that if you want to operate as a fully functional adult in today’s society, you need to be able to properly identify yourself. You’re not being oppressed when you’re being asked to be responsible.

But while there is little to no opposition in having to produce a photo ID in order to get a driver’s license, for some reason, having to show a photo ID to vote is condemned as something sinister.

Those who oppose the SAVE Act describe it as “…a discriminatory and disastrous bill designed to block millions of eligible voters from free and full access to the polls.”(Legal Defense Fund) Part of their argument insists that it doesn’t significantly impact the integrity of elections.

But that’s not the case…

A Specious Strawman

A common talking point among fraud deniers who oppose requiring photo identification to vote is that “ID only stops voting with another voter’s identity, which is exceedingly rare, so showing ID is an unnecessary burden.”

This argument is a specious strawman, however. Photo identification would help prosecute ineligible voters by establishing proof that they cast the ballot themselves. State-issued photo ID may also contain information that could indicate a voter’s ineligibility based on citizenship. Combined with an electronic pollbook (also known as electronic rosters) capable of instant eligibility verification, like the 2010 Minnesota Voter ID bill required, ineligible felons and wards would also be prevented from voting illegally.3

“Specious” means “to be superficially plausible, but actually wrong.” “Strawman” is a term used to describe the practice of characterizing your opponent’s argument in a way that’s intentionally exaggerated and distorted so it’s seemingly easy to defeat.

To say that requiring a photo ID doesn’t significantly impact the potential of someone illegally voting is a specious strawman argument.

More often than not, those who don’t have something say as much as they’ve got something to hide won’t make an argument as much as they’ll make an excuse. They hide behind the idea that they’re either wounded or they’re trying to protect those who are. But the fact of the matter is they can’t champion their platform directly without sounding either selfish or foolish so instead of trying to get people to agree with them, they try to get people to feel sorry for them.

It can be an effective strategy because of the way most will go out of their way to avoid being labeled cruel and hateful. But it’s revealed as a bogus excuse when it’s brought into the light of real results and common sense thinking.

In an article in the New York Post, the point is made that in most countries around the world, providing a photo ID in order to vote is commonplace and to perceive it as an authoritarian takeover of the electoral process is ludicrous.

This Works

In 2008, Al Franken was declared the winner of his state’s Senate race after a lopsided and legally questionable recount by a margin of 312 votes. Despite being able to demonstrate serious discrepancies in the voting process, including proof that ineligible felons had voted illegally at a rate that was three-times Franken’s margin of victory, Franken went on to give the Democrats a 60 seat super-majority in the Senate who would then go on to pass Obamacare, a financially unsustainable enterprise that every Republican voted against, both in the House and the Senate.4

In 2018, 22-year-old Abdihakim Amin Esa of Minneapolis was charged with 13 counts of voter fraud. He claimed that he was working on behalf of a candidate’s campaign committee and while he declined to give the name of the candidate, it was widely circulated that it was Ilhan Omar. (5)

The only people that want to insist that fraud doesn’t occur are those that benefit by it. When they say it doesn’t happen, what they’re referring to is the number of court cases that have been successful in the context of prosecuting a crime committed by a party that is next to impossible to track.

The best, if not the only, way to ensure a secure voting process is require a photo ID. Absentee Ballots are still available for people in the military and those that represent legitimate voters. But to vote in person, in order to ensure you’re not illegally voting on someone else’s behalf or voting in a jurisdiction other than your own, or any of the fraudulent options previously listed, a photo ID makes sense and it works!

Prove that you have legal permission to participate in the voting process and stop insisting that the country is being limited by excessive requirements when, in fact, it’s being liberated from sinister concessions.

1. “Brennan Center for Justice” “The Myth of Voter Fraud”, https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/voting-elections/vote-suppression/myth-voter-fraud, accessed March 28, 2026
2. McGrath, Dan, “The Voter Fraud Manual”, Dan McGrath, 2023, Kindle LOC 230
3. Ibid, LOC 243
4. Ibid, LOC 98-99
5. Ibid, LOC 1062

Scientists Say You’re Wrong

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Negative Health Consequences of Same-Sex
Sexual Behavior

Dr. Francis S. Collins, current Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health and former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, asserted that homosexuality “is genetically influenced but not hardwired by DNA” and that “whatever genes are involved represent predispositions, not predeterminations.” 6

The 2008 American Psychological Association’s brochure Sexual Orientation & Homosexuality: Answers to Your Questions For a Better Understanding states, “There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay, or lesbian orientation. Although much research has examined the possible genetic, hormonal, developmental, social, and cultural influences on sexual orientation, no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors. Many think that nature and nurture both play complex roles; most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual orientation.”7

GLBT-oriented men and women may not choose their attractions, but, short of force, they do choose their sex partners. From a national health perspective, the issue is not the origins of homosexual or GLBT orientation, but the consequences of engaging in such sexual activity.

The negative health consequences of alternative sexuality are made more understandable by first recognizing the nature of the sexual practices at issue. A 1979 survey in the book The Gay Report revealed the percentage of gay men who engaged in the following practices: 99% oral sex, 91% anal sex, 82% rimming (analingus), 22% fisting, 23% golden showers (urination on another), 4% scat (defecation on another). 8 The book’s two authors were of same-sex sexual attraction. A May 2011 medical journal article found that felching (“sucking or eating semen out of someone’s anus”) was a sought-after practice in one-sixth of men’s profiles in “one of the largest Internet websites specifically targeting MSM looking for partners for unprotected sex.”9

The Gay Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) web site describes the following detrimental effects associated with same-sex sexual practice: higher rates of HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, depression/anxiety, hepatitis, sexually transmitted illnesses (anal papilloma/HPV, gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia), certain cancers, alcohol abuse, tobacco use, eating disorders, and (in subsets) obesity.10

In February 2009 a Canadian GLBT group filed a human rights complaint against the Canadian government and Health Canada asserting that the Canadian GLBT population had poor statistics for life expectancy (twenty years short of standard), suicide, alcohol and illicit drug/substance abuse, cancer, infectious disease, HIV/AIDS, and depression. This is noteworthy in that it challenges the assertion of those claiming the negative health statistics attributed to individuals of GLBT orientation are merely a function of the lack of acceptance of such individuals, and that said statistics would improve with their increased acceptance. Canada provides a highly supportive government, celebration from liberal churches, and a public coerced into silence by hate speech codes, yet the poor health indicators for the GLBT populace remains. This demonstrates that acceptance and affirmation of same-sex sexuality is not the promised antidote for the problems inherent in GLBT sexuality…

The Gay & Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) web site features the page Ten Things Lesbians Should discuss with Their Healthcare Provider, which states the following: “Lesbians have the richest concentration of risk factors for breast cancer than any subset of women in the world.” And “Lesbians have higher risks for many of the gynecologic cancers.”23 (Christian Medical and Dental Associations)

6. Collins, F. S. (2006). The language of god, a scientist presents evidence for belief. (New York: Free Press) p. 257-263.
7. http://www.apa.org/topics/sexuality/orientation.aspx.
8. Jay, K., Young, A., The Gay Report (New York: Summit Books, 1979)
9. Klein, H. “Felching Among Men Who Engage in Barebacking (Unprotected Anal Sex).” Arch Sex Behav. 2011 May 14. [Epub ahead of print].
10. http://glma.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageID=690 and http://www.glma.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageID=691.
23. http://www.glma.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageID=691.

Scientists Say You’re Wrong

“Scientists say you’re wrong…”

That’s what you’ll hear from time to time when someone wants to try to ignore what’s obvious by insisting that “experts agree,” or “studies show,” or “recent polling indicates…”

There’s two kinds of information: The kind that brings clarity to the truth and the kind that distracts from it.

Subject matter experts and polling data can be very instrumental in helping to guide and reinforce sound judgement. But when you intentionally distort the criteria you use to gather and analyze your information, not only are your conclusions flawed, but they have the capacity to make a bad situation worse because of the credibility that’s associated with institutions that are being asserted as unbiased.

In other words, just because you’ve got some letters after you name, doesn’t mean you get to speak into reality things that aren’t true. That’s not science, that’s gossip.

When it comes to transgenderism and homosexuality, you have a perspective that is supposedly informed by educated sources that insists these things are either normal or explained by anomalies that cannot be criticized, only accommodated.

Ryan T. Anderson received his bachelor of arts degree from Princeton University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude. He went on to receive his doctoral degree in political philosophy from the University of Notre Dame. His research has been cited by two U.S. Supreme Court justices, Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas, in two Supreme Court cases.

In his book, “When Harry Became Sally,” he reveals the contradictions and the harm being suffered by those who are being encouraged to subscribe to an sustainable distortion of reality, all in the name of “science.”

He makes a great point by saying, “On the one hand, transgender activists want the authority of science as they make metaphysical claims, saying that science reveals gender identity to be innate and unchanging. On the other hand, they deny that biology is destiny, insisting that people are free to be who they want to be.” (Transgender Ideology is Riddled with Contradictions. Here are the Big Ones)

You can’t acknowledge Biology as a definitive science, and, at the same time, say that it becomes subjective, depending on the way a person feels. That is the fundamental claim of the “science” supporting transgenderism. In that context, transgenderism isn’t supported by science, as much as it’s refuted by it. It’s like a detective who isn’t looking for evidence, as much as they’re trying to create a verdict. In this instance, however “complex” the problem might be, you’re not bringing clarity to the truth as much as you’re distracting from it by insisting that a man can have a uterus.

How Does This Concern You?

Attempting to introduce a bottom line that exists independently of the way a person thinks or feels is toxic to some people because of the way submitting to thatr eality requires a willingness to be held accountable to something greater than yourself.

You can’t champion that kind of approach directly without sounding either selfish or foolish. But you can effectively avoid being revealed as not having a rational argument by accusing anyone who disagrees with you as being either overbearing, hypocritical,  or unethical. At that point, the focus isn’t on what’s being said as much as it’s the supposed character flaws of the one who’s speaking.

You see that approach manifested in several comments: “You can’t force your beliefs on me,” “What’s true for you isn’t true for me,” “I’m not hurting anyone,” or “How does this concern you?”

Embedded within each statement is a dynamic that implies truth is based on preferences more so than principles. Therefore, any attempt to assert a reality that cannot be altered based on a person’s disposition is an inappropriate act of aggression that is hurtful and disrespectful.

It can easily shut down any legitimate dialogue because of the way most will rush to avoid being labeled cruel and hateful.

Sexually transmitted infections among
homosexual and bisexual men who
have sex with men…

In this comparative cross-sectional study, we analyzed the records of all male STI patients who reported at least one male partner who attended our STI clinic from January 2015 to December 2023 for demographic details, sexual history, clinical examination, and laboratory findings.

Statistical Analysis:

Chi-square test and logistic regression were utilized.

Results:

The number of MSM attending STI clinics showed a rising trend, with a sharp decline during the pandemic followed by a significant rebound. Bisexuals outnumbered homosexuals until the lockdown, after which the trend reversed. About 42.6% of homosexuals and 26.7% of bisexuals reported first sexual exposure before the age of 16 (odds ratio (OR) = 2.04, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17–3.55, P = 0.01). Syphilis was the most prevalent STI (70.6%), followed by HIV (29.8%) and condyloma acuminata (16.6%). Homosexuals had a significantly higher prevalence of syphilis (adjusted OR 4.82, 95% CI 1.94–11.93, P < 0.01) than bisexuals. 51.4% of HIV cases were newly diagnosed on evaluation after attending the STI clinic.

Conclusions:

There was a sharp rise in the number of MSM attending the STI clinic, especially homosexuals. Syphilis was the most prevalent STI, particularly among homosexuals, which frequently coexisted with HIV. (National Library of Medicine)

Out of the Closet, Into the Clinic: LGBT STD Statistics
Felching Among Men Who Engage in Barebacking (Unprotected Anal Sex)

You can, however, counter those tactics by bringing the conversation back to the subject matter being discussed and emphasizing how the truth isn’t something you can ignore just because you don’t like the way it’s packaged.

For example, when someone wants to discredit your platform by suggesting that since you’re not being impacted,  you have no reason to be critical…

  • Just because my money isn’t in the bank that’s being robbed, doesn’t mean that I can’t rightfully oppose stealing.
  • Should they choose to say that, since they’re not hurting anyone, any criticism is unnecessary, you can remind them that, more often than not, that phrase is used by people who’ve decided that regardless of the problems their choices produce, if it doesn’t matter to them, it shouldn’t matter to anyone else. That’s not making an argument, they’re just declaring their indifference.

When it comes to homosexuality, you’ve got three things going on simultaneously.

1)  Not good for you

From a physiological standpoint, you have a lifestyle that represents a parade of STDs, some of which are lethal. You also can’t procreate, which qualifies your perversion, not only as something that’s detrimental to your health, but also as a complete departure from the way the human species is designed. (see sidebar)

2) Bad for the team.

This is coming from SAGE Publications, the world’s largest independent scholarly publisher.  This captures both the physiological problems as well as the problems that impact society in general.

Are homosexuals “not dangers to society” and is homosexuality “compatible with full health”? To answer these questions 4,340 adult respondents drawn via area probability sampling from 5 metropolitan areas of the USA self-administered an extensive sexuality/public order questionnaire of over 500 items. Bisexuals and homosexuals (about 4% of the sample) as compared to heterosexuals: (1) more frequently exposed themselves to biological hazards (e.g., sadomasochism, fisting, bestiality, ingestion of feces); (2) exposed themselves sexually to more different bodies (e.g., more frequently admitted to participating in orgies, reported considerably larger numbers of sexual partners); (3) more frequently reported participating in socially disruptive sex (e.g., deliberate infection of others, cheating in marriage, making obscene phone calls); and (4) more frequently reported engaging in socially disruptive activities (e.g., criminality, shoplifting, tax cheating). From the standpoints of individual health, public health and social order, participating in homosexual activity could be viewed as dangerous to society and incompatible with full health. (National Library of Medicine)

Growing up with gay parents:
What is the big deal?

A ground-breaking study from the University of Texas at Austin (Regnerus 20121) found that young-adult children (ages 18–39) of parents who had same-sex relationships before the subjects had reached the age of 18 were more likely to suffer from a broad range of emotional and social problems.

The study is noteworthy for several reasons:

(1) his study sample was large, representative, and population-based (not a small, self-selected group);
(2) Regnerus studied the responses of adult children rather than asking same-sex parents to describe how their young dependent children are doing; and
(3) he was able to draw comparisons on up to 80 measures for children who had lived with (or had) parents who fell into one of eight categories—intact families with both biological parents who were married to each other, lesbian mothers, gay fathers, heterosexual single parents, parents who later divorced, cohabiting parents, parents who adopted the respondent, and other (such as a deceased parent).

The children of lesbians and gays fared worse than those in intact heterosexual families on 77 of the 80 outcome measures. Exceptions related only to the voting habits of children with gay fathers, and alcohol use by children of lesbian mothers (National Library of Medicine).

1. Regnerus M. 2012. How different are the adult children of parents who have same-sex relationships? Findings from the New Family Structures Study. Social Science Research 41: 752–70. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Some want to try and justify Homosexuality by insisting that homosexuals were born that way. But according to the “American Psychological Association,” There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay, or lesbian orientation.”1

3) You have to pretend there are no rules.

When you’re a part of a team, you have a responsibility to contribute in a way that benefits the team as a whole. You don’t just wear the jersey, you play in a way that helps move the ball down the field. But if you’re determined to believe that there are no rules and you can play however you want to, that puts an unnecessary strain on the team’s ability to succeed. In that context, you’re not “independent,” you’re just selfish.

The person who wants to see themselves as their own absolute will not confess to being selfish, however. Instead, they’ll insist that their rights are being violated – that they are victims of an intolerant society. They won’t admit to being irresponsible or negligent, instead they’ll say that there are no boundaries and anyone who disagrees is either ignorant or cruel.

The problem with that mindset is that it ignores reality. They want to pretend that they can speak a standard into existence, simply because they want it to be true, rather than submitting to a standard because it is true.

The result is a compromised collective. It’s not about a lack of variety or an intolerant authority, as much as it’s an unnecessary increase in pain and problems that stem from a resolve to reduce truth to a tradition.

The LGBQT community requires that husbands and wives, along with moms and dads have to be redefined as social constructs as opposed to fundamental institutions. They dismiss the consequences of their perversion as “risks” and any objective evaluation of their behavior as “discrimination.” This is the only path that can be taken if their approach to the human experience is going to make any sense, and it is the same kind of path that is used by everyone that wants to normalize a flawed way of thinking: Replace what’s real with a manufactured reality where there are no bottom lines and truth is whatever an individual wants to believe.

The problem with homosexuality, or any kind of sexual misconduct, is the way that it poisons society by compromising both the definition and the function of a healthy family. Adultery and fornication lead to children who are either unwanted or reduced to pieces of property being fought over by two angry adults. Homosexuality is incapable of producing children, and the kids that are raised in a homosexual household struggle because of the way they’re constantly being told that truth is nothing more than a tradition.

In short, in order for the homosexual lifestyle to make any sense, the human experience has to be reinvented, medical realities have to be ignored, societal damage has to be dismissed, and morality in general has to be redefined.

It Makes No Sense

It makes absolutely no sense when you consider that, among the negative health consequences of same sex behavior, you have:

  • Reduced Life Expectancy
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases
  • Cancer
  • Mental Health Issues
  • Domestic Violence
  • Increased Suicide Risks

And yet…

Those who challenge the normalcy and equivalence arguments of GLBT advocates are predictably met with the jamming tactic of being labeled bigots, haters, and homophobes so as to pre-empt reasonable debate. Disagreeing with GLBT sexual practice is neither hatred, harassment, phobia, nor violence, but the expression of opinion firmly grounded in medical literature.2

The Fundamental Dispute

Attempting to defend Homosexuality by saying that “Science says you’re wrong,” is ignoring the fact that it’s raining because it wasn’t forecasted by your favorite weatherman.

When you say “Science says your wrong,” you’re implying a conclusion shared by a majority that is neither questioned or disputed. But that isn’t the case.

At the end of the day, there’s more to these disagreements than a competing collection of facts and studies. The fundamental dispute comes down to how you define truth. You define it either according to what’s real or how you feel. If you define it according to how you feel, you’re inevitably restricted to what amounts to an unsustainable hypocrisy. If you’re determined to justify yourself by saying that truth is whatever an individual wants to believe, then you can’t logically disagree with someone and say they’re wrong if there is no right or wrong.

LGBTQ, Socialism, ProChoice – all of these things depend on a perspective that maintains the individual as his own bottom line. Any policy or personality that threatens the authority of the person who’s empowered themselves to dictate the difference between right and wrong is going to be first criticized, then ignored, and then, silenced.

You don’t counter that kind of agenda without incorporating an approach that addresses the philosophical poison that refuses to acknowledge the boundaries of truth, common sense, and sound reasoning. You’re not questioning their logic, you’re challenging their authority, and apart from asking those questions that reveal the self-defeating aspect of their philosophical foundation, in their mind, they’re either different or they’re damaged, but they’re never wrong.

For further reading, as far as the biblical perspective on Homosexuality, read the “Is Homosexuality Sinful” series by clicking here.

1. “Understanding sexual orientation and homosexuality”, “American Psychological Association”, https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/orientation, accessed June 7, 2026

2. “Negative Health Consequences of Same-Sex Sexual Behavior”, “Christian Medical and Dental Associations”, https://cmda.org/article/negative-health-consequences-of-same-sex-sexual-behavior/, accessed June 7, 2026

Johnny the Walrus
Negative Health Consequences of Same-Sex Sexual Behavior – this elaborates on Dr. Francis S. Collins’ assertion that Predisposition is not destiny.
Same Sex Marriage and the Threat to Religious Liberty
Key Health Concerns for MSM (Men Who have Sex with Men)
Effect of homosexuality upon public health and social order
Are Some People Born Gay?
Fatherhood and Motherhood in a Diverse and Changing World

Apologizing to a Fool

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How do you handle someone who insists that you have hurt their feelings, despite the fact that you’ve done nothing wrong?

It seems to me that there’s more to that kind of situation than what some insist is a blanket command to “confess your sins to one another,” in order to fulfill the biblical command to be Christlike.

23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. (Matt 5:23-24)

OK, but if your brother, in this case, is a fool that’s trying to leverage a situation in a way that doesn’t so much help him recover from being wounded, as much as it helps him promote his agenda, that’s not someone who wants an apology, that’s someone who wants power.

In that instance, you want to ensure you’re applying the whole of God’s Word, and not just those portions than can be manipulated in a way where the end result falls short of the Truth.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. (Prov 26:4)

If I’m talking to a fool, I’m interacting with a person who’s not hurting as much as they’re hunting for opportunities to conceal their true purpose by posing as someone who’s in pain.

I’m not being Christlike by endorsing a sinful perspective. I’m being complicit, which is neither wise nor obedient.

 

Why is American Christianity so Disgusting?

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That was the question on quora. com.

Sometimes, it’s hard not to speculate that those kinds of questions aren’t anything other than just an invitation for atheists and agnostics to spew their discontent with the Reality of Biblical Absolutes.

But this was my response…

It depends on what you mean by “American Christianity.”

There aren’t different versions. You’re either a Christian or you’re not (Rom 10:9–10).

And while there are a number of people who’ve got it in their head that just saying they believe in the empty tomb somehow qualifies them as a believer, the demons believed that Christ rose from the grave. So, a belief in the resurrection, from a biblical standpoint, goes beyond acknowledging Christ’s having risen from the grave as more than a historical truth. It’s a personal reality that’s represented by the Spirit of Christ living inside of you (Rom 8:9–10; 1 Cor 2:16).

One thing that often gets distorted is the idea of “love.” In the absence of Truth, love is nothing more than selfishness and neglect. In 1 Corinthian 13, it says, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” So, when you’re breaking the law and justifying it by saying that you have the right to be happy, or when you’re attempting to defend something perverse by saying that love is stronger than hate, that’s just a coward wanting to be accommodated rather than evaluated.

You can’t disagree with “love,” so you make that your storefront in order to conceal what you’re actually selling.

It’s the same thing with the way people either claim to be a Christian, or criticize Christians in that they want to maintain themselves as their own moral bottom line while simultaneously sounding “godly.”

Just like the gospel says that you are more than your mistakes, the Truth is more than a personal preference. And when that “preference” is threatened, it’s then that some will try to reduce institutions to traditions, and an authentic relationship with Christ to a flawed opinion.