Muddling Toward Maturity Blog

THE PANDERING, DIVISIVE PRESIDENT

John Fund points out that contrary to what is customary, President Obama has not sought air time from ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox for his amnesty immigration speech tonight.  Instead, as Fund writes,

 Obama has timed his address to come at the start of the second hour of the Latin Grammys, an immensely popular award show on Univision, which was watched by 10 million people last year.  Univision, whose Spanish-language programmers have long been friendly collaborators with the White House on its propaganda efforts, will delay the second half of the awards show so it can air Obama’s 15-minute speech and then switch back to the music.

Fund rightly observes:

The man who declared at the Democratic convention in 2004 that “there’s not a liberal America and a conservative America; there’s the United States of America” has come a long way. He now wants a segment of Americans to see his speech dramatically changing immigration law, while he goes out of his way to avoid the broader national audience. Talk about dividing America after you talked so much about uniting it.   [my bolding]

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT PRIORITIZES LGBT ISSUES OVER RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

The Family Research Council notes: 

. . . With 13.6 million people displaced in the Middle East, and men and women of faith on the run in Africa, the State Department decided to weigh in with its third “Conference to Advance the Human Rights of and Promote Inclusive Development for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons.”

Instead of tackling one of the most fundamental human rights crises of our time -- international religious hostility -- administration officials zeroed in on “the specific needs of transgender persons; how to best engage faith communities to support the human rights of LGBT persons; and the best ways to integrate these priorities into development programs.” This week, the State Department will be spending time on homosexuality while people are literally dying for the right to practice religious liberty. The State Department has been aggressively leaning on foreign governments to abide by their values -- which, as the last election proved -- are inconsistent with the vast majority of Americans.

As I’ve said before, persecution abroad is directly related to our religious intolerance here at home. And until Congress and the White House make this an issue, the spike in persecution will only climb higher. What America does publicly communicates our priorities to the world. And what we’re communicating now is that the United States is too consumed with the radical sexual agenda of 2.7% of the population to help millions of hurting Christian men, women and children.

This, by the way, is in total contradiction to duly-enacted federal policy. The Obama administration is ignoring the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 which states: “it shall be the policy of the United States…to condemn violations of religious freedom, and to promote, and to assist other governments in the promotion of, the fundamental right to freedom of religion.”

In the congressional hearing over Mariam Ibraheem, Congressman Chris Smith (R-N.J.) was one of many leaders frustrated by the status quo. “We need to ratchet up, I think. And Mr. Perkins, your point about other issues becoming prioritized, frankly, I have been shocked and dismayed by how many Ambassadors and foreign leaders have told me to my face that the LGBT agenda is what trumps everything in the U.S. foreign policy. So religious freedom, in a way, is seen as an impediment to the advancement of that.” The new Congress must hold this Obama administration accountable to the law, which includes religious freedom.  [my bolding]

"WORLD'S MOST PERSECUTED MINORITY" -- CHRISTIANS

Raymond Ibrahim does an excellent job spotlighting the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and the Western media's failure to give serious attention to this reality.  Ibrahim is the author of Crucified Again: Exposing Islam's New War on Christians.

 

TheBlaze introduces the video saying:

Author Raymond Ibrahim has produced a new video for Prager University that reveals what he says is the most “persecuted religious group in the world today.”

Christians — mainly those living in Middle Eastern countries — face the harshest treatment at the hands of fundamentalist Muslims who, many times, torment and kill them simply because of their faith, according to Ibrahim.

“I’m not talking about ‘War on Christmas’ type harassment,” he said in the new Prager University video. “I’m talking about, ‘know your place or we’re going to kill you persecution.’”

The author said that 20 percent of the population in North Africa and the Middle East was Christian 100 years ago, but that the proportion has since decreased to just 4 percent.

“Muslims are rendering North Africa and the Middle East free of Christians,” he said, noting that businesses have been torched, young girls have been abducted and acts of violence have been committed.

Ibrahim added, “Christians are being persecuted in Muslim countries, because they’re Christians or, as the Koran puts it, infidels — that is non-Muslims who are regarded by many fundamentalist Muslims as inferior.”

FOLLIES OF "EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY"

--  I did a quick glance at a Denyse O'Leary's article "The Evolutionary Psychologist Knows Why You Vote -- and Shop, and Tip at Restaurants."  Except he/she doesn't.  O'Leary concludes:

 "... evo psych really says far more about the culture that created it than about the history of the human race."

Me:  So true.  (The article provides a host of useful links)

-- I might mention another "evolution article," this one titled "Dartmouth Physicist: When Science Shades Over Into Faith."  It treats of Marcelo Gleiser, a theoretical physicist at Dartmouth College, "who provocatively acknowledges that science can shade over into the faith, when scientists cling to ideas beyond the point where the evidence has turned against them."  Stubbornness is part of human behavior.  As Gleiser says (his emphasis):  "When you invest decades of your professional life in the pursuit of an idea, it's real hard to let go. Some never do."  David Klinghoffer comments:   "The old folks won't let go of Darwinism. Progress depends on the young, biologists whose names you’ve not yet heard whispered. It's another way of saying, with Max Planck, that "Science advances one funeral at a time."

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS CONTINUES

  --  Suicide Bomber Kills 48 at Nigerian school

  --  Christian Couple in Pakistan Burned to Death for Blasphemy; also here.  Summary from Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin:

On 4 November a young Christian couple, Shahbaz Maseeh (32) and his pregnant wife Shama Bibi (28) -- both bonded labourers (slaves) -- weresavagely murdered by a large mob of angry Muslims in the town of Kot Radha Kishan, Punjab Province. Local mosques had broadcast the claim that the couple had desecrated Qur'anic texts. According to some reports the couple were beaten to death and then burned. Other reports say they were alive when thrown into the kiln. Police are reportedly investigating and have increased security around Christian neighbourhoods.  The couple had reportedly been under extreme pressure and were not being paid. When they applied to leave they were told that as bonded labourers they would have to pay to redeem themselves. But it was much more than they could afford, so they were planning to flee with their four young children. Pray for the Church in Pakistan.

   -- Severe persecution of Christians in district of Chhattisgarh, India

Elizabeth Kendal reports:  Tensions are erupting in Chhattisgarh's southern Bastar district as violent persecution with impunity becomes prevalent. At least 50 villages have banned all non-Hindu religious practice. In many places Christians are being denied food rations and access to water. Churches are being attacked and Christians assaulted without the authorities intervening, which guarantees that the situation will escalate. Officials in Madota invited Christians to meet with them for mediation on 25 October. The Christians attended but nobody else did. Then in the evening a truck arrived with 50 Hindu militants who attacked the defenceless Christians with knives, swords and axes.  Fifteen believers were wounded and 12 required hospitalisation for serious injuries. Many Christians have fled. Impunity is almost inevitable. Please pray for the Church in India.

JOHN STONESTREET - "WHY IS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM SO IMPORTANT?"

This is one of the best talks I've ever heard on religious liberty.  I'm grateful to MH for sending me the link to the audio recording - LISTEN NOW | DOWNLOAD

 

Here is a partial summary from "BreakPoint This Week" (which, though helpful, doesn't obviate the need to listen to the talk itself -- which is stunning):  

 

In today's public square, there are few topics as critical as religious freedom. Affecting virtually every sphere of American life, the consequences of how religious freedom is understood are far-reaching. During this week's broadcast, you'll hear an address John Stonestreet gave to early October's religious freedom summit at Cedarville University on how to preserve this first freedom. 

The prime challenge of being the Church in today’s culture, says John, is responding to the enormous pressure to conform. The acceptance of a counter-Christian way of thinking about life and the world has created an environment that demands hard thinking and faithful action from Christians.

Here’s what that cultural pressure looks like. First, John says, it takes the form of a growing disdain for religion. “It used to be acceptable to express religious belief,” he explains. “Now it’s acceptable to express hatred for religious belief in the public square.” We see this in the popularity of leading atheist attack dogs like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris and legal groups demanding the removal of religion from public life.

But during the last few years, a new front of attack on religious liberty has emerged. Where previous generations considered the right to freely exercise religion their foremost freedom, much of modern America has come to embrace a new first freedom: sexual expression.

“We have, at least on a cultural level,” says John, “come to believe that the most important thing about an individual is their sexuality—either their sexual orientation or their sexual preferences.”

How do we respond to these cultural attitude shift? First of all, we need to reject the urge to fit in and give up our convictions under of pressure.

RALPH REED - CONSERVATIVE RELIGIOUS VOTERS MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE 2014 ELECTIONS

Ralph Reed writes: 

. . . Perhaps no theme of 2014 ran more sharply in contrast to the conventional wisdom than the decisive role played by Evangelical Christians and other voters of faith. According to a post-election survey conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, conservative Christians made up nearly one out of every three voters and voted eight-to-one for Republican candidates, creating the crest of a Republican wave that resulted in control of the U.S. Senate, a likely post–World War II high-water mark majority in the U.S. House, and critical victories in governors’ races.

On Election Day, self-identified conservative Christians made up 32 percent of the electorate and voted 86 percent Republican and only 12 percent Democrat. These voters contributed an astonishing 52.4 percent of all the votes received by Republican candidates. This constituency, the largest and most vibrant in the electorate, is larger than the African-American vote, Hispanic vote, union vote, and gay vote combined. White Evangelicals, meanwhile, made up 23 percent of the electorate and voted 82 percent Republican and 18 percent Democratic, according to the survey. 

2014 - THE NIGHT ABORTION LOST

David French cogently observes:

In a purple state, the Democrats try to hold on to a Senate seat by talking about nothing but reproductive rights. They lose.

The Democrats try to turn Texas red by running the the progressive abortion advocate of the Huffington Post’s dreams. They’re routed.

In Tennessee, the Left tries to preserve its judicially created southern abortion supermarketby out-spending pro-life advocates by an almost three-to-one margin and deluging voters with misinformation. Yet with the vast majority of the votes in, Tennessee’s pro-life Amendment 1 holds a strong lead.

It’s likely we’ll look back at the “war on women” rhetoric from 2012 to 2014 as a truly bizarre phase in American politics, when one odd politician’s odd remark (Todd Akin’s, of course) was transformed by an opportunistic Democratic party and complicit media into two years of fake outrage. This year, with the middle class still hurting economically and jihadists advancing across the Middle East, focusing on protecting the “right” to late-term abortion and free IUDs struck many voters as frankly strange. By the end of his sad, single-issue campaign, Senator Udall was being heckled even by his own supporters.

Let’s remember this night in two years, when the pundits will declare, with absolute authority, that Republicans should run away from social issues, leaving the field to the Democrats. Remember 2014, the night abortion lost.

Boko Haram Leader Taunts Abducted Girls' Families

 

From CBN News:

The leader of the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram is taunting the families of the 200 schoolgirls the terrorist group kidnapped in Nigeria six months ago.

In a new video Abubakar Shekau laughs at the parents and tells them all the young girls have converted to Islam and have been married off.

"If you knew the state your daughters are in today, it might lead some of you...to die from grief," Shekau sneers.

Last month, the Nigerian government said they had reached a ceasefire agreement for Boko Haram to release the girls. Now those hopes have been completely dashed.

In the new video, Shekau wears a camouflage tunic and pants and the black and white flag of al Qaeda is by his side. He is flanked by masked and armed fighters standing in front of four military pickup trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns.

Shekau denies in the video that he has agreed to any truce and says he is dedicated to fighting and dying as an Islamic martyr to guarantee him a place in paradise.

"You people should understand that we only obey Allah; we tread the path of the Prophet. We hope to die on this path ... Our goal is the garden of eternal bliss," he says.

In August, Shekau announced that Boko Haram was establishing an Islamic caliphate like the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Fleeing Nigerians have reported that hundreds of people are being detained under strict Islamic law, known as Shariah, established by Boko Haram in several towns and villages.

 

THOUSANDS STAND WITH PASTORS TARGETED BY HOUSTON MAYOR

 

Paul Strand of CBN News reports:

Thousands gathered in a Houston church Sunday evening and many more watched online to defend the right of pastors to be free of government intimidation.

The gathering came after Houston Mayor Annise Parker, a lesbian, and fellow officials subpoenaed the sermons of five pastors.

Host Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, told the crowd at Houston's Grace Community Church that more than 700 churches and 3,000 home groups had signed up to take part in the "I Stand Sunday" event via the webcast.

"I stand here today with you that I may speak, preach and teach on the issues that deal with society, the issues that the Bible speaks about," Pastor Hernan Castano of Iglesia Rios de Aceite, one of the "Houston Five" -- as the pastors have become known -- said.

Mayor Parker became upset with church-organized opposition to a pro-gay, pro-transgender city ordinance. In a legal move, she had called for local pastors' sermons to be subpoenaed.

Erik Stanley, a senior legal counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, has been representing the pastors.

"These subpoenas are just one front in a rapidly developing conflict. And the philosophy underlying this conflict is that sexual liberty trumps everything, including religious liberty," Stanley said.