Comments Which Conservatives Block From Their Blogs For February 15, 2017

Feb 8

To Joe Carter and his blogpost supporting the striking down of the law that prohibits political speech in churches. This appeared in the Gospel Coalition website.

A perspective that is missing here is that from Russia. The Russian Orthodox Church has supported Putin. So now Russia maintains laws that put strict limits on those from the LGBT community in terms of what they can say about their sexual orientation and Russia has passed a law that prohibits evangelism by other churches than the Orthodox Church outside of the walls of one's own Church. Can supporting politicians bring privilege to the Church? And if the Church has privileges, then is the separation of Church and State gone?

History tells us that one of the flaws of the Church is that it often supports wealth and power. It tells us this through the examples of the predominant Churches in France, Russia, and Spain prior to their revolutions. This led to the Church siding with tyranny. It tells us this with other examples, such as Chile and Guatemala, where the Church sided with wealth in Socialist nations whose governments were democratically elected with the result of the Church siding with tyranny of those governments were overthrown.

Striking down this law may explain why some evangelical leaders supported Trump in the first place. Now one only needs to see how these leaders and the evangelical movement benefits afterwards.

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Feb 9

To R. Scott Clark and his blogpost citing J. Gresham Machen’s opposition to the creation of a federal department of education. This appeared in the Heidelblog.

Why it is important that it was Machen who said what is recorded above is a mystery. For what we see is just a libertarian expressing his views regarding federal standardization and aid. We should note that Machen opposed a child-labor amendment and federal aid for roads. We should note that without the latter, we would have no interstate system and the ability for states and even regions to maintain infrastructure would depend solely on the resources of that region and state even though the stakeholders of such resources include many who do not live in the state or region.

Certainly, Machen is speaking as a libertarian. But I wouldn't want to blame everything he said on his libertarianism. I would also add that perhaps Machen's personal history in the Presbyterian Church influenced his opposition to all standardization in education especially regarding the teaching of morality. But a question I would have for Machen is this: Would today's educational standardization of morals which include racial equality be objectionable to him? Would he object to the teaching that we are all equal regardless of our race? The issue at hand is not racism per se, and such is not a minimizing of the importance of the subject, but on whether Machen's thinking at least sometimes unnecessarily followed all-or-nothing patterns. That to accept a part would be no different than to accept the whole. His rejection of liberalism seems to lean that way.

One final comment is due. Certainly, Libertarians would no doubt agree with Machen's position expressed above. But the problem becomes whether Libertarianism's rejection of Federal involvement in so many areas of life involves a denial of the differing degrees of interdependency that existed in society during the writing of The Constitution and Machen's time as well as with what exists during our time.

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Feb 11

To Rev Ben Johnson and his blogpost review of the healthcare debate between Cruz and Sanders where Johnson states that Cruz highlighted the weakness of government run healthcare. This appeared in the Acton blog.

There are two problems with the article above. First, while wait times in Europe and Canada or determined by the provider, wait times in America are forced on people by their personal financial abilities. It is funny that that argument, which is a point Sanders brought up, was not mentioned above. The second problem is that the wait times are unfairly attributed to the government. It is unfair because the wait times are not due to inefficiency since single payer systems are more efficient than the health care system we have now because administration is simplified by single payer systems. Increasing competition by allowing people to cross state borders to purchase healthcare insurance, as suggested by Cruz, only increases the administrative part of providing healthcare because it adds to the mix of providers. And it is the number of providers that complicates the administration part of healthcare because each provider has its own system and rules.

In reality, the wait times in both capitalist and government systems are more due to the matchup between demand and available resources. When demand exceeds available resources, then wait times are longer. And so the European and Canadian healthcare systems have two options in alleviating wait times for medical procedures. First, they can invest more money into their healthcare systems. Second, they can reduce the number of people their systems serve. In America, the second option occurs naturally when  people who feel financially constrained put off obtaining healthcare services til a later time. And to show that point more vividly, we should note that before Obamacare, the number one reason for personal bankruptcies in America were due to healthcare costs.

We should note one more point about Cruz's position. He wants the private sector to solve the problem of people being able to access sufficient healthcare in a timely fashion. Thus, he wants to expand competition to force the healthcare insurance industry into offering better deals. But such a dynamic doesn't always work with publicly owned companies that are operated for the sake of shareholders who are more and more becoming the business owners' equivalent of absentee landlords. Do we really think that shareholders, who have become the only significant group of stakeholders recognized in today's publicly owned companies, will continue to invest adequately into health insurance companies as competition reduces the ROI?

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Feb 13
To Pat Buchanan and his blogpost criticizing the courts for stopping Trump’s immigration ban and urging President Trump to ignore the courts and their power. This appeared in the Imaginative Conservative blog.

Buchanan exhibits the worst traits of authoritarianism and tribalism in this article. For the validity of Trump's executive order banning refugees from 7 Muslim nations, according to Buchanan, rests in the authoritative position of the people commenting on it. Thus, Buchanan seems to say that Trump's executive order is correct because he is making a wartime decision as President while the decisions of the justices who have ruled on it are wrong because they are merely justices. In addition, Buchanan gives personal attacks on those who disagree. He did the same by unnecessarily attacking Elizabeth Warren who challenged the nomination of Jeff Sessions.

There is nothing in Buchanan's article that discusses the concerns of either side let alone that of the justices. And there is nothing in Buchanan's article that even mentions that there already exists a vetting process for refugees let alone mentions how effective that process is. Rather, Buchanan believes that it is time to reduce the power of our courts who use The Constitution to review our laws. And he promotes this position so that the power of the President can be increased and he has fewer people to be accountable to.

Certainly, if Buchanan was consistent, then he would have written similar articles defending President Obama's executive order on immigration during wartime when it was reviewed by the Supreme Court. But he didn't. Instead, he attacked him. And when he criticized Obama, he resorted to something he didn't use when he defended Trump's executive order on immigration, he mentioned the details on immigration to bolster his argument (see http://buchanan.org/blog/rogue-president-7159 ).

If we learned anything from Star Wars it is this, that those who have an insatiable desire for power use war or conflict as a camouflage for obtaining more and more power. Now that one of Buchanan's own is in the White House, he is arguing for his President to assume and exercise more power. Again, Buchanan has, in this article exhibited the worst traits of authoritarianism and tribalism.

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Feb 14

To Joseph Pearce and his blogpost praising Trump’s protectionism as providing a hedge of protection for American economic sovereignty from foreign economic elites. This appeared in the Imaginative Conservative blog.

Just for clarification, only a small group uses violence on a consistent basis to demonstrate for the nonconservatives. That group is Black Bloc. Most of the other nonconservatives are peaceful protesters. As for why nonconservatives didn't protest Obama's inauguration?  If the left didn't protest his inauguration, they did oppose his globalization. It is the Democrats who refrained from criticizing their own.

There are things to agree with here. Protectionism is a viable option for America to take provided that it allows other nations to do the same. That has not always occurred. But we should note this, while protectionism provides an economic wall that could possibly partially block the immigration of the influence exercised by foreign economic elites, Trump will not provide sufficient protection for America from being controlled by economic elites in general. This was made clear by Trump's promise to corporate leaders that he will cut taxes and regulations by over 70%. The problem here is that in so doing, Trump is removing a layer of protection from economic, workplace, and environmental exploitation for many Americans. The more one cuts corporate taxes to the extent Trump is promising, the more the tax burden is shifted to workers and the federal deficit is increased. The more one cuts regulations, because regulations primarily deal with pay, working conditions, and protecting the environment, the more that workers and workplace communities are placed at risk for abuse. And though Trump's protectionism might act as a wall that restricts the flow of control foreign investors might have over our nation, his promise to cut taxes and regulations by such a significant amount allows foreigners who invest in American businesses to benefit at the expense of all other stakeholders besides shareholders.

When we look at Trump's team of the "best" people, we are quick to discover that those with wealth will hold on to their power since they are well represented. All others, especially workers, are left unrepresented. This is perhaps why Trump stated that he had heard no complaints about DAPL.

ONIM For April 18, 2016

Christian News

• Religious People Are Happier, Research Claims--But How Does It Matter? -- Christian Today (UK)
• France's Secularism Is Just Religious Persecution In Disguise -- Christian Today (UK)
• What An Obscure Old Testament Figure Reveals About Us Gentiles -- Christianity Today
• What One Religious Liberty Scholar Thinks Conservative Christians Have In Common With LGBT Activists -- Christianity Today
• The Dangers of Suburban Contextualized Theology For The Urban Christian -- Reformed African American Network
• Why "Secular" Christianity Hinders Reconciliation In Suburban And Urban Contexts -- Reformed African American Network
• Can You Be A Christian And A Democrat? The Christian Post
• Tennessee Governor Vetos Bill Making Bible The Official State Book -- The Washington Post
• Biblical Texts Might Have Been Writtern Earlier Than Thought, Study Finds -- The Chicago Tribune

World News

• What Wins -- ZNet
• Starvation In Australia: Utopia's Dirty Secret -- ZNet
• Justice For All -- ZNet
• US Deploys B-52s For Bombing In Syria, Iraq -- World Socialist Web Site
• Hillary Clinton And Bill De Blasio Draw Criticism For Racially Charged Joke -- Time
• Surging Energy Shares Boost Wall Street As Earnings Kick Off -- Reuters
• North Carolina Governor Tweaks Transgender Law After Backlash -- Reuters
• Uber Says Gave U.S. Agency Data On More Than 12 Million Users -- Reuters
• In Settlement's Fine Print, Goldman May Save $1 Billion -- Sanders.Senate
• Sadistic Capitalism: Six Urgent Matters For Humanity In Global Crisis -- Truthout
• This White Nationalist Who Shoved A Trump Protester May Be The Next David Duke -- The Washington Post
• John Kasich On Refusing Service To LGBT People: What The Hell Are We Doing In This Country? -- Yahoo News
• Media Silent As Massive Protest In D.C. Fills Jails Beyond Capacity -- U.S. Uncut
• US Troops In Europe To Outnumber All European Troops Combined -- Pravda
• Univ. Of Chicago Students Celebrate Divestment Win -- The Electronic Intifada
• In America, Only The Rich Can Afford To Write About Poverty -- The Guardian
• Hillary Clinton Rakes In Verizon Cash While Bernie Sanders Supports Striking Workers -- Salon
• Hillary Justifies Her Supprot For 2009 Coup In Honduras -- Telesur
• Jill Stein To Voters: Time To Leave "Abusive Relationship" With Democratic Party -- WORT FM
• Ten Revealing War Lies By David Swanson -- Dandelion Salad
• Fire Chief Jim Wright Awarded State Medal Of Honor For Rescue During Lake County's Valley Fire -- The Press Democrat
• Nope. Most Polls Still Don't Show Ted Cruz Beating Hillary In November -- PolitiFact
• Who Can Afford The Status Quo? -- Waging Nonviolence
• Obama's Victory Dance In Argentina -- Truthout
• Arms Makers Rejoice As American Bombs Drop Faster Than They Can Make Them -- Mint Press News
• 2-Year-Old Shot In Face After Mom Drops Purse With Gun Inside -- KXAN
• Jill Stein: US Politics Are 'The Mother Of All Illnesses' -- Mint Press News
• Katie McGinty Repeats The Thornburgh Mistake By Embracing Insider Establishment Money And Politics -- Real Reporting
• Jimmy Carter Just Called Out Hillary Clinton Publicly And It Is Setting The Internet On Fire -- The World Style
• New Documents Show Oil Industry Even More Evil Than We Thought -- Huffington Post
• A Big Investigation Of Segregated Schools Get Big Results -- Columbia Journalism Review
• Why The Panama Papers Are A Gold Mine For Conspircy Theorists -- Columbia Journalism Review
• Nearly 75 Percent Of People Shot By Chicago Police Are Black, Report Says --Yahoo News
• Religion In Everyday Life -- Pew Research Center
• Hillary Clinton Approved A $4 Million Sale for Sandy Hook Gunmaker Remington In 2012 -- Medium.com
• The Bernie Sanders Double Standard -- Diply Style
• Elizabeth Warren Shreds Krugman/Clinton Narrative -- Daily Kos
• CBS News Investigation Finds Kim Davis' Lawyer Behind Anti-LGBT Bills In 20 States -- Raw Story
• Bernie Sanders Campaign Suspends Jewish Outreach Coordinate For Vulgar Remarks Made About Netanyahu -- The New York Times
• UC Davis Paid Consultants $175K To Remove Pepper Spray Images From Google -- Time

Pick(s) Of The Litter

• What If Americans Protested Like Icelanders? -- Waging Nonviolence
• German Weapons Exports To Israel And Saudi Arabia And The Refugee Crisis -- Video
• Homer, Virgil Hauled To New York Prison For Ivy League Class -- Reuters
• Maya Schenwar: When Prison Reform Means Prison Expansion -- Truthout
• Poverty Has Same Effect On The Brain As Constantly Pulling All Nighters -- Think Progress
• "She's Baldly Lying": Human Rights Expert On Hillary Clinton's Defense On Her Role In Honduras Coup -- Truthout
• Many Profitable Corporations Pay Zero Federal Income Taxes, GAO Finds -- Sanders.Senate
• 59 Journalists Murdered In Honduras Since Clinton-Backed Coup -- Telesur
• Young Iraqis Overwhelmingly Consider U.S. Their Enemy, Poll Says -- The Intercept
• Syrian Independent Media Offers Bold Challenge To Extremism -- Waging Nonviolence
• The 'Panama Papers' Just Changed Journalism--And Could Save Democracy -- The Dallas Morning News
• The Sharp Edge Of American Racism -- Socialist Worker
• Dear Leap Manifesto Critics: There Will Be No Jobs On A Dead Planet -- National Observer
• US Accuses Israel Of Using Excessive Force Against Palestinians -- The Times Of Israel

ONIM For April 11, 2016

Christian News

• Meet The Pastor Who Set Up A Church For The Homeless -- Christian Today (UK)
• Archbishop Of Wales Apologizes For 'Gay Prejudice' In The Church -- Christian Today (UK)
• Christian Student Expelled From University For Quoting Bible On Homosexuality Loses Appeal -- Christian Today (UK)
• Christian Baker Slams New 'Religious Freedom' Bill For Allowing Discrimination Against Gay People -- Christian Today (UK)
• The Church's Law-Grace Throwdown -- Christianity Today
• Canada Thinks It Has A Better Way To Defend Religious Freedom -- Christianity Today
• Stop Calling Ted Cruz A Dominionist -- Christianity Today
• The Spiritual And Cultural Advantage Of Being A Multi-Ethnic, Biracial, & Transracial Christian Family -- Reformed African American Network
• Where Are Our White Allies -- Reformed African American Network
• Christians In Pakistan, Where Faith Can Be Fatal -- The Christian Post
• Behind Gay Hate There's Deep Pain -- The Christian Post

World News

• Asian Women Are Being Trafficked Into Syria As Servants And Slaves -- The Daily Beast
• Bill Maher: The Rise Of Trump Isn't About Racism. It's About Too Much Self-Esteem -- The Washington Post
• Republicans Openly Angry With Governor In GOP Caucus Meeting Over Docking Building Veto -- The Hutchinson News
• Biden Says Israel Settlements Raise Question About Commitment To Peace -- Yahoo News
• After Islamophobia Comes The Criminalisation Of Arabi -- Aljazeera
• 'Duma Is In Danger': New Arson Attack Fuels Anxiety -- Aljazeera
• Bernie Sanders Delivers A Killer AIPAC Speech ... In Utah -- Huffington Post
• What Mississippi Educators Are Telling Students About State Sanctioned Confederate Heritage Month -- Think Progress
• Trump Raises Possibility Of Curbing Aid To Israel, Calls Third-Party Talk 'Spiteful' -- The Dallas Morning News
• Culture Clash With Mideast Students Stirs Up Idaho Town -- The Seattle Times
• Tel Aviv Diary: Instanbul Blast Brings Turkey Closer -- Newsweek
• Castros Welcome Obama To Cuba With A Slap In The Face -- Washington Post
• While Sanders Rejects It, Clinton Embraces Nuclear As Part Of 'Clean-Energry' Vision --  Common Dreams
• Wikileaks Drops Illegal Email Bomb That Could End Her Campaign But FBI Censors It -- Anti-Media
• In Wake Of Another Deadly Attack In Yemen, UN Human Rights Chief Decries Coalition Airstrikes -- UN News
• Do Europe's Muslims Hate The West? -- Investor's Business Daily
• Leahy Clashes With Netanyahu Over Israeli Rights Record -- Politico
• Brazil Cancels $2 Billion Contract With Israeli Security Firm For 2016 Olympics -- Electronic Intifada
• Woman Slashed In Face By Man Who Called Her A 'Terrorist' In Lower Manhattan -- Yahoo/ABC 7 News
• Let's Dispel With The Notion That Bernie Sanders Is 2016's Barack Obama -- The Washington Post
• Clinton Goes Off On Greanpeace Activist: "I Am So Sick" Of The Sanders Campaign Bringing Up My Fossil Fuel Money -- Salon
• John Kasich Says If He Were 'King Of America' He'd Ban Teachers Lounges -- CNN
• Fossil Fuel Investors Are Pumping Millions Of Dollars Into Hillary Clinton's Campaign -- Vice News
• I'm The Greenpeace Activist Who Asked Hillary Clinton To Pledge To Reject Fossil Fuel Contributions -- Greenpeace
• Armed Clash Over Black Mosque Triggers Anger In South Dallas -- The Dallas Morning News
• World's Most Famous Economist Says Bernie Sanders Could "Change The Face Of The Country" -- Yahoo News
• Hillary Clinton's Former Advisor Considers Noam Chomsky's Views "Ridiculous" Leaked Emails Reveal -- Activism
• 'Iceland Is In For Another Storm' -- Iceland Monitor
• President Obama Signs $8.7 Billion Food Stamp Cut Into Law -- MSNBC
• Standoff Sheds Light On Conservative Sheriffs Group -- MSN News
• California Bans Commercial Crabfishing Due To Excessive Radiation In Seafood -- Investment Watch
• Why Hillary's AIPAC Speech Should Terrify Anyone Who Gives A Damn About Peace -- Anti Media
• The Netherlands Will Close Five Prisons Due To Empty Cells -- Seeker
• Letter From A Former Zionist Who Supports Justice For Palestine -- Alternet 
• Noam Chomsky Refutes Right-Libertarianism -- YouTube
• Sanders Supporters Protest Media Blackout Outside CNN--CNN Completely Ignores Them -- U.S. Uncut
• Kneeling In Fenway Park To The Gods Of War -- Evergreene Digest
• Racist Biological Myths About Black People Believed By Half Of UVA Med Students -- Yahoo News
• The GOP Is Now Bragging About Voter Suppression -- Truthout
• Bernie Sanders Called Out Panama As A 'World Leader' In Tax Evasion Years Ago -- Huffington Post
• Ex-Abu Ghraib Interrogator: Israelis U.S. To Use "Palestinian Chair" Torture Device -- Democracy Now
• Abby Martin & Pres. Candidate Dr. Jill Stein: America's Multi-Organ Failure -- YouTube
• Hillary Fundraiser Hosted By All-Star Cast Of Financial Regulators Who Joined Wall Street -- The Intercept
• With Saudi And Russian Ties, Clinton's Machine Tentacles Are Far Reaching, According To Panama Papers -- Salon
• Maine Approves Christian Ballot Initiative To Strip Gay Rights From Human Rights Act -- The Raw Story
• How Clinton Democrats Killed Roosevelt's Dream Of The Affordable Home -- Truthdig
• The NRA Spent Thousands To Get Bernie Elected -- Blue Nation Review

Pick(s) Of The Litter

• France Moves Towards Full Ban On Pesticides Blamed For Bee Losses -- Reuters
• Three More Arrested In Brussels Police Operation Over Attacks -- Reuters
• Castron Demands Obama Drop Blockade, Return 'Illegally Occupied' Guantanamo -- Common Dreams
• After Brussels Attack, Cruz Calls For Police To 'Control And Secure' Muslim American Neighborhoods -- Think Progress
• Clinton Calls For More Surveilliance, Police After Brussels Attacks -- CNN
• Bernie Sanders Spoke Up Palestinians, But Few In Broadcast Media Covered It -- The Intercept
• Kenya Attack: 147 Dead In Garissa University Attack -- BBC News
• Nixon Aide Reportedly Admitted That Drug War Was Meant To Target Black People -- Huffington Post
• 'Blame Hate, Not Islams': Europe's Left Responds To Terror Attacks -- Green Left Weekly
• Gaza Child Labor Doubles In 5 Years As Unemployment Rises -- Newsweek
• Hillary Clinton's Connections To The Oil And Gas Industry -- Greenpeace
• Chicago Violence Reaches Levels Not Seen In Years -- Los Angeles Times
• 21 Horrific Stories Of Slavery They Never Reported In The Mainstream Media -- Blackbeat
• National Prison Strike To End 'American Slave System' -- Popular Resistance
• The Lie Of Patriotism -- Truthdig
• Worldwide Executions Highest Since 1989 -- Yahoo News
• Why Erasing California's Anti-Semitic, Racist History From Public Display Is The Wrong Move -- Los Angeles Times
• We Must be OK With Uncomfortable Conversations About Israel -- The Charlotte Observer
• Israeli Politician: My Wife Should Note Have To Give Birth Next To An Arab -- Foreign Policy
• Worker Cooperatives In US Raising Labor Standards -- Aljazeera
• Obama's Gift To Donald Trump: A Policy Of Cracking Down On Journalists And Their Sources -- The Intercept

ONIM For February 22, 2016

Christian News

• Evangelical Alliance: Parents--Not The State-- Responsible For Child's Education -- Christian Today (UK)
• Can Christian Men And Women Really Be Just Good Friends --  Christian Today (UK)
• Russian Action In Syria Offers Hope, Claims Catholic Bishop -- Christian Today (UK)
• Died: Don McClanen, Founder Of Fellowship Of Christian Athletes -- Christianity Today
• Pope Francis Quiet On Catholic Persecution Of Protestants In Mexico -- Christianity Today
• Why Christians Should Love Creation, Not 'Nature' -- Christianity Today
• The Theology Of Suffering And Reformed African Americans -- Reformed African American Network
• Why The Gospel Doesn't Oppose Social Justice -- Reformed African American Network
• Jim Wallis: Let's Get Personal About Racism -- USA Today
• Mexico: Pope Francis Asks For Forgiveness From Indigenous People In Chiapas -- Democracy Now
• The Liberal Roots Of The Pro-Life Movement -- The Gospel Coalition 
• Faith Leaders: 2016 Election Needs Civility -- Huffington Post
• 4 Reasons Why I'm Religious, But Not Spiritual -- Huffington Post
• Pope Francis Offers Rallying Cry Against The Exploitation Of Workers -- Huffington Post
• Pope Francis On Donald Trump: 'This Man Is Not A Christian' -- Huffington Post
• Pastor Discusses Pope/Trump Drama -- WNEP
• Pope Francis Erects And Fortifies Walls -- Huffington Post

World News

• The Most Radical Thing The Black Panthers Did Was Give Kids Free Breakfast -- Vox
• As Tel Aviv Prepares To Welcome Beyonce, Here's A Review Of Israel's Atrocious Record Towards Black People -- Mondoweiss
• Think Corporate Tax Avoidance Is Bad? It Could Be About To Get Even Worse -- Common Dreams
• John Kasicch Teamed With Clintons On 1990 Law That Doubled Extreme Poverty -- Truthdig
• Interior Ministry Denies Arrest Of Italian Student Giulio Regeni Before Death -- Madamasr.com
• 4 Billion People At Risk As 'Water Table Dropping All Over The World' -- Common Dreams
• To My Fellow Israelis: We Can Stop This -- Mondoweiss
• Sanders Supporters Revolt Against Superdelegates -- Politico
• Israel's Netanyahu Pans 'Baffling' French Peace Proposal -- New York Times
• 13 Year Old Ben Interviews Noam Chomsky On Politics  --YouTube
• Rubio Ad Says 'It's Morning Again In America' But Shows Vancouver Skyline -- Talking Points Memo
• Bernie Sanders Gets Endorsement From First Muslim US Congressman -- Jewish Telegraphic Agency
• Turkey Defies US, Risks Global Isolation By Attacking Syria -- The Fifth Column
• The Paradox Of Being An Arab Member Of Israel's Knesset -- Al Jazeera
• Social Services Cut Could Be 'Largest Factor' In Biggest Annual Rise In Deaths For Almost 50 Years -- Independent
•  Matthew Fisher: Stop Russia's Coldblooded Violence In Syria--Or Moscow Will Continue To Dictate Everything -- National Post
• Half The Foreign Policy Experts Signing Clinton's Anti-Sanders Letter Have Ties To Military Contractors -- The Intercept
• This Superdelegate Just Confirmed Sanders Supporters' Worst Fears -- U.S. Uncut
• US Marshals Just Arrested This Guy For A $1500 Student Loan From 29 Years Ago -- The Raw Story
• U.S. Marshalls Didn't Really Arrest A Man For Missed Student Loan Payments -- Yahoo News
• Chelsea Clinton: Bernie Sanders Plan For Ending Mass Incarceration Is 'Worrying' -- The Daily Kos
• Ex-Black Panther Leader Elaine Brown Slams Stanley Nelson's 'Condemnable' Documentary -- The Daily Beast
• Hillary's Top Financial Supporter Now Controls "The Onion" -- The Intercept
• Fact-Checking Netanyahu: A Week Full Of Truthiness -- +972
• Virginia House OKs Bill Seeking To Protect Same-Sex Marriage Foes -- WDBJ
• Feds: Pipe Corrosion Led To Santa Barbara Coast Oil Spill -- ABC News
• Why Walker Allowed Lincoln Hills Abuses -- Urban Milwaukee
• Flint's Poisoned Water Was The Most Expensive In The Country -- The Washington Post
• New Memo: Kissinger Gave The "Green Light" For Argentina's Dirty War -- Mother Jones
• Bad News For Ted Cruz: His Eligibility For President Is Going To Court -- Vox
• Hillary Clinton Again Declines To Expose What She Told Big Banks In Her Paid Speeches -- The Intercept
• Islamville, South Carolina's All-Muslim Town Faces Trump Effect: 'We Feel Unsafe' -- The Guardian
• Private Prisons Fight Back -- Ozy.com
• Economist Richard Wolff On Capitalism: The System Is Over; The Game Is Rigged -- The Ring Of Fire
• On Immigration, Bernie Sanders Is Not Who He Says He Is -- Medium.com
• Black Lives Matter Activist Snubs White House Invite -- Time
• Miami Police Refuse Security For Beyonce Concert In April -- Live Ofofo
• Free-Range Education: Why The Unschooling Movement Is Growing -- The Christian Science Monitor
• Ohio Charter School Scandal Grows As Kasich Ascends National Stage -- PR Watch
• Amid World Turmoil, Arab Leaders Cautiously Reassess Ties With Israel -- World Politics Review
• Arrest Photo Of Young Bernie Sanders Surfaces From Chicago Tribune Archives -- U.S. Uncut
• Sanders: Two-Party System Holds Back Competition -- The Hill 
• The US Economy Has Not Recovered And Will Not Recover -- Counterpunch

Pick(s) Of The Litter

• Bernie Sanders Phantom Movement -- Truthdig
• Syria Crisis: Hospital Strike Deliberate, Says MSF -- BBC News
• Changes In DSM-5: Racism Can Cause PTSD Similar To That Of Soldiers After War -- Medical Daily
• Marjority Of U.S. Public School Students Are In Poverty -- The Washington Post
• Israeli Officer Filmed Pushing Disabled Palestinian Out Of Wheelchair -- Newsweek
• Confusion Reigns Over Number Of Missing, Murdered Indigenous Women -- CBC News
• Fact Checking The Nineth GOP Debate -- FactCheck.org
• Fact Checking The Sixth Democratic Debate -- FactCheck.org
• USDA Rules Would Increase Food Stamp Access To Healthy Foods -- Yahoo News
• Why Obama's Military Aid To Israel Is Breaking All Records -- Electronic Intifada
• Greatest Threat To Free Speech In The West: Criminalizing Activism Against Israeli Occupation -- The Intercept
• Can't Afford Clean Water For Flint, But Israel Demands $50 Billion From US Taxpayers -- Addicting Info
• Loving Husband Spends 2 Years Planting Thousands Of Flowers For His Blind Wife To Smell -- BoredPanda.com
• Chomsky On Kissinger -- YouTube
• Indian Point Contaminates The Hudson River With Uncontrollable Radioactive Flow -- Huffington Post
• Michigan's Water Wars: Nestle Pumps Millions Of Gallons For Free While Flint Pays For Poisoned Water -- Democracy Now
• When Lobbyists Become Superdelegates -- Daily Kos
• How Secretary Of State Clinton Enabled The Coup In Honduras -- Common Dreams
• The Obama Administration Recklessly Escalates Confrontation With Russia -- The Nation

How Shall We Christians Then Not Vote

Mark Woods (no bio available) has just written an excellent article regarding how Christians should not vote (click here). And the diving board that helped him go head first into this topic is Ted Cruz. 

Woods objects to Cruz's personality and campaign for 3 reasons. First, Cruz favors the Republican view on issues like climate change. Second, Cruz's personality suggests to Woods that Cruz seems to be far more interested in winning than on being right. Last but not least, Woods believes that Cruz has so identified his campaign with the Bible that he feels that Cruz has co-opted the Scriptures. And it is this last perceived characteristic of Cruz that has broken the camel's back for Woods.

But Cruz is not alone in co-opting the Scriptures, other Republican candidates have too according to Woods. It's just that Cruz won Iowa because he outdid his Republican rivals in so doing. 

What tipped Woods off about Cruz co-opting was a statement Cruz made after he had won Iowa. He cited a verse from Psalm 30 to the crowd that said that joy comes in the morning following a night of weeping (click here for the verse). He then equated his win in Iowa with Iowa's way of telling the world that morning is here.

Indeed, Republicans have for years sold Evangelicals on the idea that a vote for them is a vote for God's program. What Woods did not mention is that Republicans have used the abortion issue to do this. For how can a Christian vote for a pro-choice candidate when such a candidate sanctions the murder of unborn children in the womb? The result of such reasoning is that abortion has made many evangelicals 'single-issue voters.' 

Some Christian writers have become sensitive to the single-issue voter label. Joe Carter, writing for the The Gospel Coalition website, just wrote an article trying to correct this perception (click here for the article). In his article Carter stated that single issue Christians should vote on is justice, not abortion. However, he asks how can anyone who is pro-choice be sincerely concerned about the human dignity of people who are in other dire situations. So he implies that though one should not vote for a candidate because that person is pro-life, Christians should not vote for any candidates who support woman's choice to elective abortion because it isn't possible for anyone who is pro-choice to care about justice.  

Woods' solution to the problem he sees is that while Christians should let their individual convictions determine their vote, they should not allow the Christian label to be attached to a particular political party or candidate. That is because once we have done that we have allowed our faith to be constrained by our political views and thus have corrupted the faith rather than vice-versa. Woods notes the irony here because rather than relying on the First Amendment's statement on the freedom of religion and Jefferson's 'separation of Church and State,'  Christians who allow their faith to be dictated by their political beliefs are becoming American counterparts to Muslims who support theocracies in nations like Iran and Saudi Arabia.

This equating Christianity with America, however, is a practice that is older than the Republican Party. In fact, it is a practice that is older than America's life as a nation. In reality, such a strong association between America and the Scriptures is done in order to ride the coattails of Christianity to obtain some degree of authority for their own political position or embrace self-aggrandizement or both. 

Woods' article is really excellent and should be read because this blogpost cannot do it justice in this brief review. However, we could add one point here. Even though we should never attach the Christian label to political positions or campaigns, it is legitimate for both individual Christians and the Church to tell society and  the State that certain practices are unacceptable. In other words, and I think I've written this before, while we cannot identify any single candidate or political party as being the one Christians should support; both individual Christians and the Church should be more than willing to speak prophetically to society and the State in denouncing its sins and injustices. Yes, elective abortion must be one of those injustices preached against. But other practices or results such as an ever increasing wealth disparity, immoral wars (a phrase that is sometimes almost redundant), and destroying the environment are also wrong and immoral and thus must be opposed. In this way, both individual Christians and the Church itself can speak prophetically to the world without risking the corruption of the faith.  

ONIM For September 28, 2015

Christian News

•  America Is Not A Christian Country. So Why Is Religion So Important In The Presidential Election -- ChristianToday (UK)
• The Sustainable Development Goals Lack A Christian Perspective -- Christian Today (UK)
• We Need A New Battle For The Bible -- Christianity Today
• From AntiChrist To Brother In Christ: How Protestant Pastors View The Pope -- Christianity Today
• God First, Then Country -- The Christian Post
• Correction: Pope Story -- Yahoo News
• Pope Rejects Lunch With Boehner, Pelosi, McConnell, Reid, He Will Be Dining With The Homeless -- Ring Of Fire
• Pope Decries "Shameful And Culpable Silence" On Arms Sales -- The Intercept
• Transcript Of Pope Francis' Speech To Congress -- Religion News Service
• Katie Couric: When The Pope Goes To Prison -- Yahoo News 
• The People's Pope In The Land Of The Dollar -- Democracy Now
• I Am The Man -- The Christian Curmudgeon
• Mike Huckabee: Obama Has No Right To 'Believe He's A Christian' After Inviting Gays To Meet Pope -- Raw Story

World News

• A Huge Overnight Increase In A Drug's Price Raises Protests -- Bernie Sanders' Website
• Price-Gouging Pharma CEO Under Investigation For Insider Trading And Fraud -- U.S. Uncut
• Media Blackout As France And Russia Both Announce Monsanto GMO Bans -- March Against Monsanto
• Carly Fiorina Lies To Fox, Has Bri-Wi Problem -- Huffington Post
• Land Degradation Could Create 50 Million Climate Refugees Within A Decade -- Truthdig
• Noam Chomsky On Trump -- "We Should Recognize The Other Candidates Are Not That Different" -- Truthout
• The 8 Groups In America That Are The Most Screwed-Over By Predatory Capitalism -- Alternet
• Amnesty International USA Files Complaint Requesting Investigation Of DOJ Response To CIA Torture Program -- Amnesty International
• Pope Francis Reverses Position On Capitalism After Seeing Wide Variety Of American Oreos -- The Onion
• Gaps In Earnings Stand Out In Release Of College Data -- The New York Times
• Singing Her Own Song For Decades, Buffy Saint-Marie Picks Up Prestigious Prize -- Common Dreams
• Confronting Rape And Patriarchy In India And Beyond -- This Is Hell
• Noam Chomsky On Jeremy Corbyn, Bernie Sanders, Syriza, And The Power Of Activism -- Truthdig
• Hillary Clinton's Biggest Campaign Bundlers Are Fossil Fuel Lobbyists -- Huffington Post
• IDF Shoots 18yo Palestinian Woman 10 Times, Lets Her Die In Street -- RT
• The Most Profoundly Evil Crime Committed By ExxonMobil To Date -- BuzzFlash
• Activists Group Says Pictures Show Moment Before Israeli Forces Should Dead Palestinian Woman -- Yahoo News
• Why Is College So Expensive If Professors Are Paid So Little? -- Truthout
• Chris Hedges And Laila El-Haddad: Israel's War On Children -- Dandelion Salad
• Pope Tells World's Top Arms Dealers To End Arms Trade -- Dandelion Salad
• Mother Calls Police Shooting Of Son in Wheelchair 'Unjust' -- Yahoo News
• Israeli Soldiers Assault AFP Team At West Bank Demo -- Yahoo News
• Jeb Bush's "Free Stuff" Racial Slur Was A Shrewd Calculation -- Huffington Post
• Bill Clinton Says GOP, Media At Fault For Wife's Email Woes -- Yahoo News
• Chicago Police Turn Off Dashcam During Abusive Traffic Stop After Learning Driver Is Police Investigator -- Photography Is Not A Crime
• Israel's Starvation Diet For Gaza -- Electronic Intifada
• Saudi Prisoner, Arrested At Age 17, Faces Death By Crucifixion -- The Washington Times
• How Israel Keeps Palestinians Off A Third Of All West Bank  Land -- Haaretz
• Ted Cruz At The Values Voter Summit -- YouTube
• Noam Chomsky: The United States, Not Iran, Poses Greatest Thread To World Peace -- Democracy Now
• With Power Of Social Media Growing, Police Now Monitoring And Criminalizing Online Speech -- The Intercept
• Head Of South Madison's Farmers' Market Will Train Formerly Incarcerated Men To Farm -- Madison.Com 
• Evo Morales: War Is The Most Lucrative Business For Capitalism -- Telesur TV
• Mayan People's Movement Defeats Monsanto Law In Guatemala -- Intercontinental Cry
• Chevron May Yet Have To Pay Billions For Its Ecuadorian Catastrophe -- Truthout

Pick(s) Of The Litter

• What It Means To Be A Socialist -- Truthdig
• Most Palestinians No Longer Support Two-State Solution -- Reuters
• Analysis: Why Israel Wants A Religious War Over Al-Aqsa -- Aljazeera
• Pope Francis: "Bold Cultural Revolution" Needed To Save Planet From Climate Change & Consumerism -- Democracy Now
• Video: Israeli Soldiers Fire Tear Gas At 6-Year-Old Children On Their Way To School -- Electronic Intifada
• Jimmy Carter: The U.S. Is An "Oligarchy With Unlimited Political Bribery -- The Intercept 
• How Women Of Color Bear The Costs Of Mass Incarceration -- Popular Resistance
• Cleanup For Pope's Philadelphia Mass Sweeps Homeless Aside -- RawStory
  
  
  
  

ONIM For April 20, 2015

Christian News

• Conservative Anglicans Poised For 'Leap Forward,' Deny Schism -- Christian Today (UK)
• Pakistan: Gunmen Open Fire At Catholic School In Lahore -- Christian Today (UK)
• Bishop Of London Warns Of Global 'Peril' Caused By Environment, Poverty And Conflict -- Christian Today (UK)
• Not The Christian Zionism You're Thinking Of -- Christianity Today
• Finding My Place In The Gospel Coalition -- Christianity Today
• One Last Thing: The Christian Porn Secret -- Christianity Today
• 'Like A Good Neighbor' Jesus Is There -- The Christian Post
• A Millenial's March For Marriage -- The Christian Post
• No. Carolina House Approves Bill To Put Billy Graham Statue In US Capitol -- The Christian Post
• What Is Freedom Of Religion -- Veterans For Peace
• New Episcopal Church Calls For Divestment From Israeli Occupation -- Mondoweiss

World News

• Ted Cruz  Launches Senate Fight To Auction Off America's Public Lands -- Climate Progress
• Investors Chip In As Renewables Rise Toward Record Level -- Truthdig
• United States Forest Service Investigates Expired Nestle Water Permit -- ABC7 News
• First Florida, Now Wisconsin, Ban The Words 'Climate Change' -- BuzzFlash
• Scientists Have Found A 10 Million Gallon 'Bath Mat' Of Oil On The Floor Of The Gulf Of Mexico -- Business Insider
• Police Investigating 'Homicide' Of 10-Year-Old Minnesota Boy -- Yahoo News
• Correction: Killings By Police--Oklahoma Story -- Yahoo News
• A Nation's Shame: Trillions In New Wealth, Millions Of Children In Poverty -- BuzzFlash
• Nearly 50 Aid Agencies Charge International Community Failing People Of Gaza -- Common Dreams
• Judge Permits Uranium Mining Near Grand Canyon -- Mining Awareness Plus
• What Sanctions? The Russian Economy Is Growing Again -- Newsweek
• Video: Arizona Officer Rams Police Cruiser Into Suspect -- Yahoo News
• Obama Pleads With Jewish Groups To Back Iran Deal -- The Hill
• Assembly Republicans Reject Anti-Discrimination Resolution -- WKOW
• Student Groups Clash Over Politics Of Israel And Palestine -- The Wesleyan Argus
• You Are Paying Billions Because McDonald's And Walmart Won't -- Gawker.com
• Ben Carson To Launch Presidential Bid On May 4 -- MSNBC
• Iraq: ISIS Escapes  Describe Systematic Rape -- Human Rights Watch
• Report Shows US Invasion, Occupation Of Iraq Left 1 Million Dead -- Truthout
• Former Philadelphia Police Officer: 'I Planted Drugs Too Many Times To Count' -- Daily Kos
• Former Prosecutor Says Cops Planting Guns On People They Shoot Is 'Standard Operating Procedure' -- Counter Current News
• 'Thousands' Of Israeli Arab Homes Threatened With Demolition -- Yahoo News
• Frequently Asked Questions About Upcoming Marriage Equality Case At The U.S. Supreme Court -- Human Rights Campaign
• Warren Blasts Government For Ignoring 'Blatant Criminal Activity' On Wall Street -- Common Dreams
• Police Report Sharp Increase In Religious And Race Crimes In London -- Christian Today (UK)

Pick(s) Of The Litter

• Goldman Sachs CEO: Entitlements Must Be Contained -- CBS Evening News
• Noam Chomsky: America Hates Its Poor -- Salon
• In Landmark Case, Dutch Citizens Sue Their Government Over Failure To Act On Climate Change -- Climate Progress
• 27,000 Oil And Gas Wells Abandoned In Gulf Of Mexico Ignored By Government, Industry -- The Times Picayune
• After Walmart And Fast Food, Labor Activists Target Big Banks -- Aljazeera
• Railroading Racism: Warren Buffet Vs Northwest Indians -- Intercontinental Cry
• Ethiopians 'Tortured, Oppressed And Silenced' Into Surrendering Land To Foreign Investors -- Truthdig