The Top 5 Plus (October 18)

1) “Size And Stage Of Development Do Not Determine Life’s Value -- God Does” (Avery Foley, Harbinger’s Daily)

From the article -- But what about a baby at fertilization? He or she does not look like a baby and, to our knowledge, cannot feel pain or realize that he or she even exists. That baby is just a single cell. Is it still heinous to end the life of that child? What about a baby at four weeks gestational age? Or six? Or twelve? When does human life really begin?

Reproductive science shows that at the moment of fertilization, when the sperm meets the egg, all of the information that builds that person is present. No new information is added. That fertilized egg, known as a fertilized ovum, is a human being with a unique combination of information never before seen in earth’s history.

Science can tell us that much, but can it answer the question of when life begins? Some say yes, others disagree. But God’s Word provides clarity. Scripture says that all human beings are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and that the unborn are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), known by God from before their conception (Jeremiah 1:5). The Bible makes no distinction between unborn human life and human life that has passed through the birth canal. Both are human in God’s eyes and therefore stamped with his own image.

Is killing a fertilized human egg murder? Absolutely. Life begins at the moment of fertilization. From that instant, a unique human being, created in God’s image, has begun his or her life. Size and stage of development do not determine life’s value. God does, and he values life from the very beginning.

2) “Democrats, Call Off Your Animals” (I & I Editorial Board)

From the article -- What we are seeing should sicken all Americans. It should make every one of us angry. But it doesn’t. For too many on the Democratic side, and we include most of the media here, the violence is politically useful.

No, the Democrats wouldn’t be able to stop all the violence, but they could shut down most of it – if they wished to. They don’t. They like it because it’s a tool for them to fool voters into thinking that the arrests and deportations are unpopular, as well as an intimidation tactic aimed at those not in compliance with the Democrats’ narrative – the message is “conform or else.”

The violence also provides a thrill, if we may borrow the brilliant words of Martin Gurri, for those who hate “orderly lives, neighborliness, civility, and the spontaneous adherence to the law of the vast majority of Americans,” and “wish to infect all social relations with the chaos and anger agitating their minds.”

This is today’s Democratic Party, where the elders and the next generation have become a raging mob of insurrection.

3) “Catholic Cognitive Dissonance. There is no ‘balance’ when it comes to abortion proponents.” (James H. McGee, American Spectator)

From the article -- It shouldn’t take much, then, for my fellow Catholics to draw the correct conclusion. Abortion is a mortal sin, a particularly heinous form of murder since it targets the most vulnerable of all human life. While we are enjoined to offer our love to mothers who sincerely seek forgiveness having committed this terrible act, we are responsible before God to do everything within our power to prevent abortions from taking place — and this, of course, means condemning those politicians who promote abortion, particularly unrestricted abortion, and it certainly means voting against candidates who would make such unrestricted abortion an absolute right. 

Or does it? The bishop seems to think so, and so too our local priests. Last week, however, found this belief challenged from the unlikeliest of sources, namely Pope Leo XIV himself. Did the pope suddenly announce himself a supporter of Planned Parenthood? Not exactly, nor did he suggest that abortion had somehow ceased to be a mortal sin in Catholic teaching. But for many of us, his words in a public interview completely muddied the waters, and certainly gave aid and comfort to those who would insist that politicians — even Catholic politicians — be given a break when it comes to support for abortion. 

Context matters, and the context reveals a deep dissonance within the Catholic community. Recently, Cardinal Blasé Cupich, the Cardinal-Archbishop of Chicago, announced that the archdiocese intended to confer a “Lifetime Achievement Award” on Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, a long-serving Democrat senator and, despite his professed Catholicism, a long-term proponent of abortion. Cupich’s award announcement specifically commended Durbin for his work on immigration issues. 

And another interesting article related to the Papacy – “Why Did Some Catholics Try to Bodysnatch Charlie Kirk? The Reason Will Make You Sad” (John Zmirak, The Stream)

4) “Is Canada Becoming the Center of Organ Harvesting Tourism?” (Leslie Eastman, Legal Insurrection)

From the article -- Canada has crossed a horrifying line: turning assisted suicide into an organ donation pipeline. Patients are being euthanized—then their organs harvested for others. "This is not compassion. It’s a medical-industrial supply chain of death." (Dr. Simone Gold)

The trend lines indicate that “organ harvesting” is becoming more prevalent. Since at least 235 people who died by MAID consented to organ donation in Canada, most commonly donating kidneys, livers, or lungs. Of 894 deceased donors in 2024, seven per cent (i.e., 62) donated after medically assisted suicide (per the ironically named “Canadian Institute of Health). A study reviewing the data between 2018 and 2022 showed a significant increase in MAID donors.

During the study period, MAiD donors represented 8.0% (64/803) of total deceased donors, increasing from 4.9% (8/164) in 2018 to 14.0% (24/171) in 2022. There are many reasons to be concerned about these developments. Canadian officials promoted MAID to a man who had hearing loss. There is a move to make mental illness a potential condition of acceptance into this program.

5) “Democrats Are Giving Up On Democracy” (John Daniel Davidson, Federalist)

From the article -- I don’t just mean that left-wing influencers like Hasan Piker and Destiny regularly call for violence against the right, or that media darlings like Ta-Nehisi Coates and Ezra Klein publicly muse about whether it would be better to negotiate with conservatives, lie to them, or force policies on them against their will.

And I’m not merely thinking of rogue federal judges, like the one who gave Nicholas Roske — who now identifies as a trans woman named “Sophie” — a light sentence for attempting to assassinate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, or the parade of liberal judges who have tried to shut down the Trump administration’s agenda through a deluge of nationwide injunctions and temporary restraining orders, many of which have been overturned by higher courts.

It’s all of these things, but it’s also the recent pattern of behavior by the Democratic Party establishment, which seems totally uninterested in winning anyone over or engaging in democratic politics at all.

5 Other Important Reads for this Week:

* “Christian Law Firm Steps In After School Forces Students To Participate In ‘Witchcraft’ Lessons” (Alex Newman, Harbinger's Daily)

* “Wrist Slaps For Left-Wing Violence Invite More Attacks On Conservatives” (Breccan F. Thies, Federalist)

* “Christians Murdered and Jailed in Iran, Nigeria, and Congo” (Catherine Salgado, PJ Media)

* “Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day! Remembering how the Iroquois treated missionary Isaac Jogues and his companions.” (Paul Kengor, American Spectator)

* “Teachers Unions Are Still Just ‘Doing’ Socialism -- And it’s hurting our kids.” Aubrey Harris, American Spectator)

The Top 5 Plus (October 11)

1) “The Left Must Acknowledge Its Violence Problem” (Yoe Suarez, Washington Stand)

From the article -- Joanne Chesimard (“Assata Shakur” to her revolutionary fans) died a few days ago in Havana, under the protection of Castroism. The former member of the Black Liberation Army had been living in Cuba since 1984 after escaping from prison, where she was serving a sentence for murdering a police officer in New Jersey. Shakur went from the FBI’s most wanted list to the pages of leftist American media, which applauded her as a revolutionary example.

The fashion and entertainment magazine Essence romanticized Shakur as if she were a runway model: “She is survived by a legacy of revolutionary thought which urges us to reflect on the lessons of power, beauty, and preservation that can be found through her physical representation.” The website Democracy Now! republished a letter from the woman “in memory of her life and her work.” The Chicago Teachers Union’s social media account honored “the life and legacy of a revolutionary fighter, a fierce writer, a revered elder of Black liberation, and a leader of freedom whose spirit continues to live on in our struggle.”

If the Left is willing to bring its murderers from the violent 1960s and 1970s, when “anti-colonial” and Marxist terror reigned, out of the basement, it’s no wonder they celebrate or justify today’s political violence. The Center for Strategic and International Studies defines left-wing terrorism as “that which is motivated by an opposition to capitalism, imperialism, or colonialism; black nationalism; support for LGBTQ+ rights; support for environmental causes or animal rights; adherence to pro-communist, pro-socialist beliefs or ‘anti-fascist’ rhetoric; opposition to government authority under the belief it is a tool of oppression responsible for social injustices; support for decentralized political and social systems, such as anarchism; or partisan extremism, where violence is justified against political opponents and parties perceived as advancing right-wing agendas.”

The last 12 months have exposed the Left as the protagonist of violence, although today its main stenographers misinform their own audience and remain in denial.

2) “Don’t Buy The Lie: Over Half Of US Adults Claim Religion Should Not ‘Influence Political Decisions’” (Ken Ham, Harbinger's Daily)

From the article -- Survey respondents were asked to either strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with the following statement (or they could select “not sure”): “Christians should not allow their religious beliefs to influence their political decisions.”

Over half (54%) of US adults agreed with this statement. Filtered for those with Evangelical beliefs, the number dropped . . . but only to 29%. That means nearly 1 in 3 supposed Evangelicals does not believe that their religious beliefs should impact their political decisions. They don’t understand what a truly biblical worldview is. Ironically, at the same time, 95% of the same group believe that “The Bible has the authority to tell us what we must do.” So the Bible has the authority to tell us what to do—unless it’s a political decision. That’s inconsistent nonsense!

This idea that our beliefs shouldn’t impact our politics stems from the lie that there is such a thing as neutrality. But there is no neutrality. Scripture makes this plain. Matthew 12:30 reads, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

Politics is legislated morality. And morality is the result of your worldview. Leftists legalize the murder of unborn children, the genital mutilation of children and teens, and the perversion of marriage and sexuality because of their worldview (their religion). They believe that absolute personal autonomy is the highest good, and they legislate in accordance with this belief. They are not neutral, nor are they parking their religious beliefs at the door when they vote, propose legislation, or sign bills into law. They are actively employing their religion in the decisions they make.

Christians must do the same. We cannot leave our Christian beliefs—our biblical worldview—at the door when we engage in politics as a citizen or as a politician. We’re not neutral, and neither is the sphere we’re entering. We’re to seek the good of the nation we’re in and use our influence to be salt and light for such a time as this as we do the King’s business until he returns.

Related article: “Among Evangelicals, Essential Doctrines Lacking” (Decision Magazine Staff)

3) “The fact is that appeasing Islamism is the cause of the rise in anti-Semitism” (Bruce Newsome, TCW)

From the article -- Western European politicians are in the habit of avoiding the fact that most deadly terrorists are Islamist. We should be able to admit this fact without being accused of denying that most Muslims are not terrorists, that most victims of terrorism are Muslims, and that non-Muslims too can hate.

For years, Britain’s government (going back through Conservative administrations too, in common with Democratic administrations in the US) has invented a myth that most violent extremists are white supremacists. British popular culture routinely depicts terrorists as white supremacists, and the victims as Muslims, lest any reality is called out by a politician, lobbyist or journalist as ‘Islamophobic’. Inevitably, exaggerating Islamophobia has made Britain’s government Islamophilic.

Both biases are discriminatory. They’re bad for social cohesion and for counter-terrorism. Britain’s government won’t take the counter-Islamist actions that are normative in other Western countries. For instance, it hasn’t banned the Muslim Brotherhood. It still consults the foul and unrepresentative Muslim Council of Britain. In July, it proscribed Palestine Action, but not because of any terrorism by Palestine Action, rather because it broke with the Labour Party.

Islamism has been allowed to normalise on our streets and in our institutions. For the last two years, most protests in Britain have been in support of Gaza and hence the terrorist group Hamas, which controls Gaza, and against Israel. Political assembly is fine. But these protests routinely feature chants in favour of Hamas, intifada, Palestinian expansion ‘from the river to the sea’, and the killing and rape of Jews.

Related articles: “Britain has abandoned Jews to this savagery: The writing was on the wall long before the horror in Manchester.” (Tom Slater, spiked!)...“How Did Oct. 7 Become a Distant Memory? What terrorists do best.” (Larry Elder, Front Page Mag)... “7 October: a war for the soul of the West: Two years on from Hamas’s fascist pogrom, the fight for civilisation has never felt more urgent.” (Brendan O'Neill, spiked!)...“The Spiritual War of Oct 7: There was a moment when I told myself, ‘I’m not going to pray to Allah.’” (Daniel Greenfield, Front Page Mag)

4) “Does God exist? Modern science shows He must, bestseller argues. A book by two French authors that challenges a longstanding academic consensus is being published in Britain next week” (Ben Spencer, Science Editor, The Sunday Times -- London)

From the article -- Science and religion have never been easy bedfellows. As Thomas Jefferson put it in 1820, priests “dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of daylight”. Five centuries of scientific breakthroughs — from Galileo to Darwin to Crick and Watson — have eroded our belief in the divine. But now, according to a new book, a “great reversal” is under way. Science, its authors argue over 580 pages, has come full circle and “forcefully put the question of the existence of a creator God back on the table”.

In a striking challenge to the academic consensus, two French authors, Michel-Yves Bolloré and Olivier Bonnassies, argue that the latest scientific theories lead to only one logical conclusion: an all-powerful deity created the universe and all life within it...

Both are also men of faith. Bolloré is a lifelong Catholic. Bonnassies, who did not find his Christian faith until his twenties, said he thought before his conversion that “believers were irrational people”, adding: “God, the Resurrection, the Virgin Mary — I found it crazy.” Yet it was logic, he said, that won him around: “The surprise was there were many rational reasons to believe in God.”

Despite their beliefs, they insist their book is not about spirituality. Bolloré, who has lived in west London for the past 15 years, said: “This is not a book about faith or religion. Who God is, what does he want, what does he think, what does he say: that’s very interesting, but it’s a question of religion. That’s not what this book is about.” Instead, the authors have written a critique of materialism — the theory that all reality, including our origins, thoughts and consciousness, can be explained solely by physical matter and physical processes.

5) “Why All Christians Should Reject Open Borders: Progressive Christianity takes a breathtaking leap from ‘God loves everyone’ to ‘therefore nations shouldn’t have borders.’” (John MacGhlionn, American Spectator)

From the article -- he latest theological contortion from progressive Christianity has arrived, wrapped in the familiar language of divine grace and social justice. Writing for Sojourners, Yanan Rahim Navarez Melo argues that Christians must embrace open borders because God’s grace is “borderless.” The argument sounds spiritually sophisticated until you realize it’s built on the same flawed foundation that supports most progressive Christian causes: the complete abandonment of biblical wisdom in favor of contemporary political fashion.

Melo’s essay represents a dangerous trend among progressive Christians who consistently twist scripture to validate whatever cause captures elite liberal imagination. Today, it’s open borders. Tomorrow, perhaps, reparations for the serpent in Eden. The maddening method remains the same: find a theological concept, rip it of context, and use it to baptize progressive politics.

The fundamental problem with Melo’s argument isn’t his concern for the dislocated and dispossessed. Christian compassion toward the vulnerable represents one of faith’s noblest traditions. The problem lies in his breathtaking leap from “God loves everyone” to “therefore nations shouldn’t have borders.” It’s a theological card trick that would shame even a Vegas hustle

Other Important Reads from the Week:

* “Biden FBI Spied On 8 Republican Senators In Get-Trump Probe” (Shawn Fleetwood, Federalist)

* “The REAL costs of illegal aliens in America” (RushBabe 49)

* “Fatal crash report finds nearly half of deadly wrecks tied to illegal drug: THC levels in hundreds of crash victims far exceeded legal limits across all states” (Melissa Rudy Fox News)

* “90,000 Canadians Dead by MAID And Counting: Canada’s Quiet Genocide of the Vulnerable” (Kelsi Sheren, National Right to Life)

* “The Trouble With Progressivism: The progressive mindset views history as a series of mistakes to be overcome rather than a source of insight, and they tear down every fence without knowing why it’s there.” (Michael Smith, Patriot Post)

Making Prayer a Crime?

“So, are you praying?” asked the British policeman to the woman who had been standing quietly across the street from an abortion business in Birmingham.

“Well, I’m not saying anything.  But, yes, I’m praying in my mind.”

“So, you are praying?” the policeman repeated.

“Well, yes.”

“Then you’ll have to come to the station with us, ma’am.”  And he put Isabel Vaughn-Spruce, a local leader of 40 Days for Life, under arrest.

Tragically, denials of what have historically been the sacred freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, and conscience are happening more and more as leftist tyrants and their all-too-willing toadies in the press, schools, business, and government bureaucracies ramp up their intolerance of the ideals of Western civilization, Christianity, and Christians.

We have, of course, been dealing with this sad injustice for awhile now. Bakers, innkeepers, and florists are denied the freedoms of religion and conscience. Coaches cannot pray with their teams (no matter how willing the student/athletes are to do so) and valedictorians are not allowed to mention Jesus to their classmates. Wearing a Christian T-shirt gets you thrown out of the mall, the school, the public library, the company picnic. And on and on. 

Indeed, the arrest of Mrs. Vaughn-Spruce provoked a vivid reminder of a similar situation I encountered a few years ago outside the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C.  It was the night before the March for Life and Claire and I were in town with three of our Omaha colleagues for the event.  

But on the night before the March, we had gone to spend a few minutes in prayer outside the U.S. Capitol, the Senate and Congressional offices, and now we were at the Supreme Court.  It was late.  It was very quiet.  There was no one besides the 5 of us on the whole plaza. But just a few seconds into our corporate prayer, one of the Supreme Court police (yes, they’ve got their own) interrupted us and told us that we couldn’t pray there. Though incredulous and angry, I was calm, respectful, and very courteous in my response…as was he. Here’s how it went:

“Officer, thanks for checking on us. But let me ask, did I hear you correctly that we aren’t allowed to pray here?”

“That’s right.”

“Good grief. May I respectfully ask by what authority you make this remarkably un-American demand?”

The Supreme Court policeman was a bit disconcerted.  “Look, I know it doesn’t seem right but they’ve told us not to let crowds gather here or to let anyone do any demonstrating.”

“Officer,” I spoke gently, “are you considering five people a crowd, especially when we’re the only ones in this whole plaza?  And do you really interpret the five of us quietly standing here a demonstration? And I haven’t even mentioned you telling us we can’t pray!”

“I know it doesn’t seem right, sir. But I’m just following orders.”

“Okay, let me ask you this -- when I saw you coming across the plaza, it looked to me like you were already determined to chase us away.  But what if we were simply tourists enjoying the sights of D.C.? Would you have ordered us to leave?”

“No, of course not; that would have been fine.  But I could tell that you were praying by the way you had your heads bowed.”

“Wow; that’s interesting. So, let me get this straight; you’re suggesting that it wasn’t the prayer itself that bothered you. It was seeing us in a posture of prayer.”

“Yes, I guess so.  Because the way you looked, anybody could see that you were praying. And that’s I when I could get in trouble.”

“Got it. But I’ll bet you’ll agree with me that with all the murders and the rapes and the robberies in this city, you’ve got to feel at least a little silly for telling us that praying in this empty place at night is the crime you’re determined to prevent.” He looked kinda’ crestfallen at that and so I followed up quickly, “Look, I’ve got an idea. You and I are not going to settle here tonight the Constitutional legality of our freedom to assembly. And I have no desire to get you or me or any of my friends here in trouble. So, here’s my suggestion.  Why don’t you walk away and leave us alone for another few minutes.  I promise we won’t get on our knees or bow our heads or intertwine our fingers.  We will look just like tourists -- tourists that are simply appreciating the beauty of the Supreme Court lit up at night and thinking about the things it has traditionally stood for…things like, say religious freedom and other stuff!  Then you walk back by here in ten minutes and we will be gone. What do you say?

“I guess that would be okay.  ‘Cause, you know, I don’t want to be a hard-case about all this.  Still, I’m pretty sure that when I walk away, you folks will probably start praying again.”

I smiled.  “But, officer, even if we were so bold to do that, you wouldn’t know.  Nobody would know.  And why? Because you came over here and warned us against assuming a posture of prayer. Mission was accomplished. I promise we won’t do that.  And, like I said, we’ll just be here a few minutes more.  How about it?”

The fellow paused a moment.  “Okay, goodnight, folks.”  He finally walked away and left us to finish our prayers (abstaining from a prayer posture, of course) before we headed back to our hotel. It was a memorable night, for even though we managed to escape penalties for praying in the public square, it was a clear warning of what was coming. And, as I suggested, that incident came back in a rush when I watched the video of Mrs. Vaughn-Spruce’s arrest.  “So, you are praying?  Then you’ll have to come with us.”

My friends, because of the accelerating hatred of the world for God and because the Church has cowardly surrendered so much of her responsibilities to live holy, separated lives as well as to lovingly speak truth into the culture, this is going to keep happening. The powers that be will tell us -- “Sure, it’s fine to have your religion. We will graciously allow that. However, your religion must be a totally private (even secret) thing that finds no expression whatsoever in the public square, the schools, the marketplace, politics, the local library, etc. And, as long as your convictions give way before the ideals (and compulsory orders) of Science, Progress, the State, and the “enlightened elite,” you can feel as many religious feelings as you’d like. ‘Cause, you know, we don’t want to be a hard-case about all this.”  

Lord, have mercy. Help us to hold on tight to a heavenly perspective regarding the trials of living all-out for You. Please be our strength and shield as we pursue godliness in our personal lives and as we undertake the light-bearing responsibilities we have been given as Your ambassadors.

There Are Wolves in the World

"Brothers and sisters, there are wolves in the world — ravenous, treacherous, and relentless wolves in the world. These beasts are also proud, wicked, and full of bloodlust. And, make no mistake, their frantic passions are ever-increasing to kill and devour, to spread panic and despair..."

The rest of the September letter from Vital Signs Ministries is right here.

The Top 5 Plus (October 4)

A jam-packed Top 5 Plus this morning with special emphasis on Israel, anti-Semitism, the doctrine of the Rapture, and a shout-out for Sarah Holliday of The Washington Stand.

1) “Megyn Kelly is wrong: Neutrality on right-wing antisemitism is immoral: The podcaster and the late Charlie Kirk were wrong to refuse to cut ties with Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens. This failure is poisoning American conservatism.” (Jonathan S. Tobin, JNS)

From the article -- Now that the full contents of that letter have been published, everyone can see that Owens is a liar and that Kelly is trying to salvage an argument that hasn’t a leg to stand on.

The letter makes clear that the claims that Kirk had turned on Israel were false. He was as dedicated to its support as ever; however, he was also concerned about the nation losing the information war with so much of the public on social media and the mainstream media being deceived by Hamas propaganda and lies about Israeli military conduct during the battle against the Hamas terror organization in Gaza.

That’s a problem for a small but not insignificant collection of voices on the far right.

They have joined forces with their counterparts on the left to attack Israel in a manner that is not only unfair and disconnected from the facts about the events in the Middle East, but also increasingly indistinguishable from antisemitism. Their demonization of Israel and attempts to delegitimize its right to defend itself against Islamist foes -- who are just as interested in waging a religious war on both the West and the United States -- is deeply hateful. But it is also no different from the arguments heard from the red-green coalition of Islamists and leftists that have sought to silence, intimidate and target Jews for violence on the streets of American cities and college campuses in the last two years.

Related articles:  “Kirk Cameron Has Done Wonderful Things For The Gospel But He Is Greatly Mistaken About Israel” (Olivier Melnick, Harbinger's Daily)

“Be Careful, Church: The ‘Theological’ Arguments Against Israel Are Shamefully Wrong” (Robert Gottselig, Harbinger’s Daily)

“J’accuse: Britain's political and cultural establishment has blood on its hands today” (Melanie Phillips, Substack)

“God’s Character And Unchanging Word Dismantle The Lie Of Replacement Theology” (Josh Davis, Harbinger’s Daily)

2) “No Service for Jesus Is Small” (Stephen Witmer, Desiring God)

From the article -- The word for serve in verse 31 refers to attending, caring for, and helping others, including waiting on them at table. Simon’s mother-in-law is probably bringing bread, refilling cups, wiping crumbs, clearing dishes. Her service is ordinary. She’s not painting a masterpiece to honor Jesus, or building a cathedral for him, or composing a song to be performed by a two-hundred-member choir. Her service is more ordinary than that. She herself is an ordinary person. In fact, she’s not even named in the story — instead, she’s identified by means of her relationship with her famous son-in-law (Simon). Moreover, she’s performing her humble service in a humble town: the fishing village of Capernaum, which had perhaps fifteen hundred residents.

So, her service for Jesus is not an extraordinary effort by a famous person in a famous place. It’s not Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling, Bach’s Mass in B Minor, or a Charles Spurgeon sermon. It’s just a no-name woman in a no-name place putting bread on a table.

And yet it gets a mention in the Bible. “She began to serve them.” Mark considers her service worth including. We still read about it two thousand years later. It matters greatly. Why? To understand, let’s draw two implications from this passage for our own service to others.

3) In the Number Three slot this week, I’m going to draw your attention not only to one of my favorite sources, but also to one of the best, most perceptive, and most relevant writers for that publication. The website is The Washington Stand, a terrific service provided by the Family Research Council. And the writer I’m showcasing? Sarah Holliday. Here you go...

“Half of American Adults Reject the Bible. Christian, Here’s What that Means for You” (Sarah Holliday, Washington Stand)

“Meat vs. Sugar: The Need for Healthy, Strong Churches amid Increased Attendance” (Sarah Holliday, Washington Stand)

“Pro-Lifers Slam FDA’s ‘Reckless’ Move to Quietly Expand Abortion Pill Access” (Sarah Holliday, Washington Stand)

4) “Laugh All You Want, The Rapture Is Not Escapism Or Fantasy...It’s Biblical” (Greg Laurie, Harbinger’s Daily)

From the article -- Here’s why this isn’t just a fun theological parlor game: the Rapture gives hope. Paul calls it the “blessed hope.” When you’ve buried a loved one, you don’t need vague talk about them being “in a better place.” You need the solid promise that in one split second, you’ll be with them again. Parents reunited with children. Husbands with wives. Brothers and sisters together again. And at the center of it all—Jesus Christ Himself.

And it does more than comfort grief. It motivates godliness. If you really believe Jesus could return at any moment, maybe don’t binge sin like it’s Netflix. You wouldn’t invite your best friend into a house piled with dirty laundry and Taco Bell wrappers. Don’t greet your Savior that way either. You want to be ready—walking with Him, keeping your spiritual house in order.

Of course, there’s always the circus clowns with their calendars: “88 Reasons Jesus Will Return in 1988!” They were wrong, just like every other date-setter before or since. Jesus made it pretty clear: “No one knows the day or the hour.” Which, funnily enough, includes you, me, and that guy on YouTube with the chart and the whiteboard. The Rapture isn’t about prediction—it’s about preparation.

Excellent articles related to this provocative and very important topic? 

“Those Who Reject The Rapture, Tribulation, Or Millennial Kingdom Perform A Great Disservice To The Body Of Christ” (Jonathan Brentner, Harbinger’s Daily)

“Examining Motivations: Why The Rapture’s Timing Truly Makes A Difference In The Christian Life” (Josh Davis, Harbinger’s Daily)

5) “Pope Leo XIV Defends Pro-Abortion Dem Senator, Says Those Opposed to Illegal Immigration Are Not ‘Pro-Life’” (Michael Schwarz, Western Journal)

From the article -- In a video posted to YouTube on Tuesday, a reporter from the Catholic television network EWTN asked Pope Leo XIV to help people of faith understand a decision by Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, to honor pro-abortion Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, to which the pope delivered a hideous, hypocritical reply.

On its face, the first part of the pontiff’s answer had some merit. “I think that it’s very important to look at the overall work that a senator has done during, if I’m not mistaken, 40 years of service in the United States Senate,” the pope said.

What came next, however, was downright appalling. “I understand the difficulty and the tensions,” he continued. “But I think, as I myself have spoken in the past, it’s important to look at many issues that are related to what is the teaching of the church.” In other words, the pontiff suggested that “many issues,” alone or combined, might involve moral truths that match or exceed that of an innocent life’s sanctity. What issues did he have in mind?

“Someone who says, ‘I’m against abortion,’ but says, ‘I’m in favor of the death penalty,’ is not really pro-life,” the pope tragically insisted. “So,” he added, “someone who says that ‘I’m against abortion, but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants who are in the United States,’ I don’t know if that’s pro-life.”

Ugh.

As one would expect, conservative Catholics on the social media platform X rejected the pope’s claim of moral relativism. Moreover, they cited not their own preferences but the writings of past popes and theologians.

Other Important Reads of the Week:

* “The NFL’s Cultural Catechism: Bad Bunny and the War on Tradition” (Virgil Walker, Sola Veritas)

* “The Courage to Stand Alone in an Age of Cowards” (Maureen Steele, American Greatness)

* “From the League of Nations to the United Nations to Trump Global?” (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

* “Docs Knew Gender Science Was ‘Shoddy,’ But Pushed Chemical Sex Changes On Kids Anyway” (Megan Brock, Daily Caller)

* “Chirping for Chesimard”(Scott Johnson, Power Line)

The Top 5 Plus (September 27)

1) “Why the right is flocking to Christianity” (Joanna Williams, spiked!)

From the article --  A week earlier, I walked with similarly huge crowds of people on the Unite the Kingdom march in London. The same combination of politics and religion was also a feature of that event. Unlike any other demonstration I have attended, this rally kicked off with gospel singers and an evangelical preacher. Some of those marching carried cardboard crucifixes along with English flags. Chants of ‘Christ is King’ could be heard.

On both sides of the Atlantic, there is talk of a Christian revival as lapsed or non-believers find faith in God, leading some to ask if America is undergoing another ‘Great Awakening’. I suspect not everyone brandishing a ‘Turn Back to God’ placard at the Unite the Kingdom rally turned up at church the following morning. However, research for the Bible Society suggests that church attendance in Britain is indeed on the increase, particularly among Gen Z men.

Among cosplayers and believers alike, there is something distinctive about the form of Christianity that is being embraced today. If a revival is underway, it is as far from cross-legged, guitar-strumming, ‘Kumbaya’ Christianity as it is possible to be. Notably, the Bible Society reports that the increase in church attendance in Britain has not benefitted Anglican communities. Young converts are looking to Pentecostal or Catholic denominations. In the UK, as in America, the type of Christianity that seems to be in demand today combines traditional values with evangelical fervour.

2) “No Matter What People Call It, The Land Never Was And Never Will Be ‘Palestine’” (Olivier Melnick, Harbinger's Daily)

From the article -- 

This year marks the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, and while there are many parts of the world that could benefit from a genuine global organization that claims to be “the one place on Earth where all the world’s nations can gather together, discuss common problems, and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity” the United Nations are obsessed with demonizing and delegitimizing Israel. So much so, that since 2015, it has passed 301 resolutions against Israel and 192 against the rest of the world, including some countries such as North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Russia, China, Syria, and others. The double standards are so obvious, but nobody seems to care. The bias and one-sidedness are sickening!

Officially, the Palestinian Liberation Organization declared the establishment of the State of Palestine in 1988. This happened under the leadership of Yasser Arafat, who, incidentally, was born in 1929 in Cairo, Egypt, not “Palestine.” Ever since, more countries have officially recognized Palestine as a bona fide state. 151 out of the 193 nations part of the United Nations have now taken sides against Israel by recognizing Palestine. This year, the UK, France, Belgium, Portugal, Australia, Malta, and Canada will join ranks.

3) “Something Stirs in Post-Christendom” (Mark Steyn, Steyn Online)

From the article --  Last week I observed that there was a critical difference between recent events in the New World and Old:

"In Europe, the people who want you dead are the imported barbarians - the rapists and beheaders loosed upon the land by madmen like Merkel and Johnson. In the US, as we have learned this past week, the people who want you dead are your fellow Americans controlling the commanding heights of your society - the schools, the hospitals, the mainline churches..."

What they share in common, however, is that both threats are pseudo-religious in nature. Islam is a hideously false religion, which is why, where e'r it goes violence follows and calm comes only when Mohammed is king on a field of corpses. There is little contemplation of the divine: In accord with its founder's earthly inclinations, paradise is a brothel staffed only by virgins. Practically speaking, it is a political project masquerading as a religion, which is mighty convenient because, if you submit a municipal planning application for a new mosque, you're treated as if you wish to build a Congregational church.

But the psychotrannies and other American predators have their pseudo-religions too. Some worship Gaia, some repurpose "the world's oldest hatred" as unbounded love for fashionable victim groups: On Saturday night in my own state of New Hampshire, several hours south of me on the Massachusetts border, a man went to dinner at a "country club" in Nashua and was gunned down in front of his mother, wife and daughter by a killer entirely unknown to him but who yelled as he did the deed "Free Palestine!" That's a very un-Granite State kind of murder. The deceased wasn't Charlie Kirk; he was just a guy who installed heating and air conditioning, and lived in a state with a very low homicide rate. But in the New America he's dead because he went out for dinner on a Saturday night.

4) “Cut Tucker Loose” (Scott Johnson, Power Line)

From the article -- 

The point is that Carlson is not fooling anyone anymore—not those on his side and not those on ours. But without the sponsorship of senior figures in the administration, he would be a lone crank podcasting into the void. Thus far, Carlson’s sponsors have been content to ignore his relentless attacks on their colleagues, their policies, their boss, and large swathes of their base. We suspect they hope that Carlson will spontaneously come to his senses, and that the problem will somehow solve itself without them having to do anything uncomfortable.

It won’t. Indeed, all evidence thus far suggests the opposite: that the more Carlson gets away with, the worse he gets. His sponsors can own that—and everything that comes with allying with an anti-Trump subversive whose stock-in-trade is using conspiracies about the Jews to foment civil war on the right—or they can cut him loose. There are no options beyond those two. And it is Carlson, not his critics, who is forcing them to choose.

Also see related article: “Netanyahu Responds Directly to Tucker Carlson, Says He Defends America’s ‘Worst Enemies’” (Alex Griffing, Mediaite)

5) “Leftist Violence Stems from a Hatred of God-Given Reality” (S.A. McCarthy, Washington Stand)

From the article -- The inescapable truth is that leftists do not see you as human. You may have the face of a man and the arms and legs and beating heart of a man, you may walk and talk like a man, but you have made yourself sub-human in their eyes. The reason for this is a failure or refusal to adhere to reality, and the tell-tale signs are the labels leftists use.

Reality is ordained and sustained by God and rooted in Him. Leftism, as a branch of naturalism, seeks to usurp the throne of God and subjugate reality not to His will but to one’s own will. It is the sin of Satan, the sin of Adam and Eve, and the root of nearly all sin ever since, both great and small, it is a rejection of the imitation of Christ and a direct inversion of His example. Where Christ poured out His own blood, the leftist sheds the blood of others. Where Christ prayed, “Not as I will, but as You will,” the leftist declares, “As I will, not as You will.” The animating spirit of leftism is a desire to reorder reality, to subjugate reality beneath the leftist’s feet, and to become God.

This naturalist animating spirit can be seen in leftism’s social and political aims: abortion reorders the procreative reality of sex by killing the child; homosexuality also reorders the procreative reality of sex by removing the possibility of procreation; transgenderism reorders the reality of biology through the use of dangerous drugs and horrifying mutilative surgeries. Of course, none of these things actually alters reality: a mother who kills her unborn child is still a mother, but she is now one who has killed her own child; a marriage is still a union between one man and one woman, no matter how many lawsuits a homosexual-identifying individual files; and a biological man is still a man even though he slices off his own sex organs and replaces them with reshaped forearm flesh. It is all to no avail.

Also see related articles: “While Media Denied Leftist Violence After Kirk Murder, Three More Left-Wing Attacks Happened” (Breccan F. Thies, Federalist)...”Charlie Kirk and the Left’s Memory Police” (Mark Judge, Hot Air)

Other excellent reads from the week:

* “Jabber About Jabs: The Vaccine Debate” (Francis Turner, Substack)

* “Hero at 11: The Boy Who Stopped a School Shooting - and Got Expelled for It” (Eli Shepherd, Red State)

* “UK Gets a Muslim Terrorist Counterterrorism Minister”

(Daniel Greenfield, Gatestone Institute)

* “The United States Has Spent $110 Billion on AIDS Prevention. 

Less Than Half of the Money Went to Medical Supplies and Health Workers, 

a State Department Audit Found.” (Adam Kredo, Washington Free Beacon)

* “Trump Promises American Global Leadership: 7 Themes from His UN Speech” (Joshua Arnold, Washington Stand) 

* “Why Do So Many European Leaders Now Seem Proud To Side With Hamas?” (Mick Hume, The European Conservative)

* “The Scandalous Case of Cardinal Cupich and Senator Durbin” 

(Jayd Henricks, Catholic World Report)

 * “God’s Character And Unchanging Word Dismantle 

The Lie Of Replacement Theology” (Josh Davis, Harbinger's Daily)

* “You Can’t Make This Up: The Insane Reasons Criminal 

Migrants Stay in the UK” (Niklas Hallén, The European Conservative)

* "The Possessed: Assassination mysteries and the dynamics of political murder." (Lloyd Billingsley, Front Page Magazine)

Tournier on God’s Presence in All Vocations

“The valuable thing is to see our job as the task which God has entrusted to us, and to accomplish it in that spirit, allowing ourselves to be guided by Him. The valuable thing is to see our jobs, as well as all our other activities, as an adventure directed by God. In religious circles people have gotten into the habit of restricting the idea of vocation to the call of the ministry in the church or perhaps to a medical or teaching career. This tendency clearly indicates the distinction we make in our minds between the things of the Spirit and secular things.

For the fulfillment of His purpose God needs more than priests, bishops, pastors, and missionaries. He needs mechanics and chemists, gardeners and street sweepers, dressmakers and cooks, tradesmen, physicians, philosophers, judges, and shorthand typists. “My brethren,” writes St. James, “show no partiality as you hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.” (James 2:1) Having a vocation means approaching everything one does in a spirit of vocation, looking upon it as an adventure shared with God. “In all toil there is profit” (Proverbs 14:23) or, as Calvin put it, in his pungent style, “there can be no work, however vile or sorted, that does not glisten before God, and is not right precious, provided that in it we serve our vocation...Every man in his place ought to deem that his estate is, as it were, a station assigned him by God.

I do not serve God only in the brief moments during which I am taking part in a religious service, or reading the Bible, or saying my prayers, or talking about Him in some book I am writing, or discussing the meaning of life with a patient or a friend. I serve him quite as much when I am giving a patient an injection, or lancing an abscess, or writing a prescription, or giving a piece of good advice. Or again, I serve Him quite as much when I am reading the newspaper, traveling, laughing at a joke, or soldering a joint in an electric wire. I serve him by taking an interest in everything, because He is interested in everything, because He has created everything and has put me in His creation so that I may participate in it fully.” (Paul Tournier, The Adventure of Living, page 209-10)

See also -- Tournier on Work as a Divine Gift (& Calling)

The Top 5 Plus (September 20)

1) “Anyone Who Blames ‘Both Sides’ After Charlie Kirk’s Murder Is A Liar And Coward” (Peachy Keenan, Federalist)

 From the article -- Why are Bothsiders wasting time blaming the right after a vicious murder committed by a leftist? Shouldn’t they be vociferously defending the innocent? The answer is that they’re cowards. They are too scared to call out Democrats for creating, supporting, and ignoring the evil that has taken root in their party.

Instead of courageously calling out their friends, colleagues, coworkers, and media allies, these pathetic Republican Bothsiders will spout long lists of examples of “right-wing political violence.” This allows them to avoid doing what has to be done: laying bare the left’s deep hatred of conservatives that has been allowed to fester for decade after decade. 

By insisting that “both sides” are guilty of violence, they are giving the vicious left a way out. It’s a lifeline — a magical force field that immediately exonerates them. Democrats can then neatly avoid having to address the malevolent violence and hatred in so many of their voters. When it’s “both sides,” you get to escape accountability. When it’s “both sides,” the guilty get to escape a hard look in the mirror.

Related article: “Away With the Absurdity That the Left and the Right Are Equally Vicious” (Robert Gagnon, American Spectator)

2) “The Depth Of America’s Political And Moral Divide Is On Full Display” (Tom Gilbreath, Harbinger's Daily)

From the article -- The shooting of Charlie Kirk was especially difficult because, while only one person pulled the trigger, millions rejoiced. That thought staggers the mind. Large numbers of Americans were positively overjoyed by the gruesome murder.

In Matthew 12:34, Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” If we go by the words we find on social media, we must conclude that hearts have grown dark and evil across the land. While leaders on the left rightly condemned the violence, the hidden and anonymous among us felt no such constraints. They could say what they felt — bare their dark hearts to the world.

Because it allows a high degree of anonymity, the internet has always been a place for people to vent ugly, uncaring, mean, and wicked feelings. When people hide behind usernames, they’re more willing to reveal their inner selves. And it’s not pretty.

I don’t mean to imply that every liberal was cruel and inappropriate. Certainly not. Many expressed condolences despite their political differences with Charlie Kirk. Me reading through various comments on Facebook and X hardly qualifies as a scientific study, but there seemed to be far more trolls than peacemakers — more vitriol than civility. 

Related articles: “The Age of Spiritual Warfare Is Here. Will You Rise or Fall? America’s descent into demonic politics.” (John MacGhlionn, American Spectator)...“The capture of the campuses is diabolical” (Sean Walsh, TCW)...“Our National Response Must Focus on Foundations, Not Retribution” (Tony Perkins, Washington Stand)

3) “Open season against the Jews: The West’s attack on Israel can only be explained by its assault on its own core values and identity.” (Melanie Phillips, JNS)

From the article -- All bets are off. Clearly, there’s no limit to the world’s attempt to defame, delegitimize and destroy Israel, signaling through this incitement an implicit but unmistakable indication that it’s now open season on Jews wherever they are.

The chants of “Globalize the intifada” and the Arabic cry threatening to slaughter the Jews just as Mohammed did in Khyber in the seventh century C.E. no longer merely represent troubling activist behavior on the West’s pro-Gaza demonstrations. Unbelievably, the so-called civilized world is sending out implicit signals that attacking Jews, both in Israel and in the Diaspora, is morally justified.

This weekend, Britain’s Starmer government is said to be planning to recognize a state of Palestine. This is in advance of a move led by France, and also including Australia and Canada, to recognize Palestine unconditionally, scheduled to take place at a meeting next week of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City...

By its own lights, Palestine recognition is utterly ridiculous. A state can’t be wished into being by others who merely want it to exist. “Palestine,” moreover, has no boundaries or any coherent government. Recognition of this fantasy state is a cynical move whose purpose is to isolate Israel in world opinion and to create a Potemkin international diplomatic structure to put Israel on a course of destruction.

Related article: “Soul Corruption: Tucker, Candace & Steve” (Roger Simon)

4) “Queer Terror: The violence towards conservatives may be part of a broader terror network.” (Martin Arostegui, American Spectator)

From the article -- The FBI is investigating leads indicating that the assassin of conservative leader Charlie Kirk at a Utah college campus last week forms part of a far-left terrorist network that could have connections with Cuba and China.

His violent radicalization in Marxist transgender ideology fits a pattern of recent attacks across the country linked to an outcrop of groups such as Armed Queers (AQ), which recruit online, engage in paramilitary training at gun ranges of a new organization with chapters in all 50 states called Socialist Rifle Association, and seem closely tied with ANTIFA.

Current investigations are focusing on the AQ Salt Lake City chapter, which held a 2024 protest event in the city’s suburb where Kirk’s assassin, Tyler Robinson, was shacked up with a lover transitioning from male to female. The AQ-SLC logo was inscribed on shell casings found at Robinson’s sniper position. The group has scrubbed all its social media postings since his arrest. 

Analyst Tony Seruga, through sources in the FBI, says that federal investigators, based on GPS data, believe that there could have been at least a dozen other individuals involved in Kirk’s assassination, which appears to be the latest and most serious in a series of hits by AQ and other far-left terror cells using high-powered weapons and military type tactics.

5) “Living in One Big Nuthouse” (James Banakis, John Kass News)

From the article -- The common theme of the Democratic Party is the inclusion of all minorities no matter how small or insignificant. Beginning under Obama, they carried a huge umbrella of identity politics, that included almost everyone except white men.  The common thread was that all minorities were being exploited, and that the Democratic party would be their protectors. The problem of course was that the Democrats had no policy to lift the minorities  out of their perceived misery.

Why?

Because they need a permanent underclass. They need what Lenin referred to as “useful idiots,” referring to followers of the Russian Revolution who in fact had no idea what they were supporting, and were willing to be dupes of tyrants. If you believe Zohran Momdani has some good ideas, or that the Clinton Foundation is an instrument to eliminate poverty in the world, you just might be a “useful idiot.”

The connecting thread is the victomhood of all minority classes. Once the oppressed minorities and those who feel guilty that all the unfairness in the world is their fault wake up and understand they’re the “useful idiots,” they start leaving the plantation.

Other outstanding articles for the weekend --

* “The forgotten Trump assassination attempt” (Byron York, Washington Examiner)

* “Furries Are Having a Dangerous Cultural Moment: The blurred line between deviant fantasy and reality has destabilized our youth.” (Anne Hendershott, American Spectator) 

* “Asymmetry” (John Hinderaker, Power Line)

* “Gov. Cox Has Spent Years Embracing The ‘Trans’ Ideology That Corrupted Charlie Kirk’s Killer: As Utah governor, Cox has regularly embraced transgenderism and its accompanying delusions.” (Shawn Fleetwood, Federalist)

* “Why Is the Media Downplaying the Annunciation Shooter’s Motive: Transgenderism and anti-Catholicism drove the recent killing in Minneapolis.” (Christopher F. Rufo, Ryan Thorpe, City Journal)

And Another Month of "When Swing Was King" Closes

There's always a hint of sadness when we present the last of each month's showings
of "When Swing Was King." We do, after all, really cherish the songs and the photographs and even the stories and trivia items I recount for our audiences...and so we know we will miss them. And today we closed September's schedule with shows #10 and #11 -- first at Newport this morning and then at Brookstone Village late this afternoon.

However, ending this month's show means we will soon get started on the next gathering of 12 terrific songs, the next collection of 220-250 photos, and the next batch of interesting and fun information to please our friends in the senior living facilities. What a rich blessing God gave us (and so many others) when he gave us "When Swing Was King.

Tournier on Work as a Divine Gift (& Calling)

Many people imagine that the biblical view of work is that it is a curse, a punishment imposed by God upon man after his proud disobedience. This idea is in accord with the pejorative interpretation of work and helps to maintain its currency; but it is quite false. As I have pointed out, work was instituted by God before the fall and is presented to man as an adventure, a sharing in the divine activity....

So work, which before the fall was a pure and lovely adventure, is turned into wearisome toil --  not as a result of the spirit of adventure itself but because of its wrong use: man wished to conduct his adventure on his own, in his own way, instead of entering into God’s adventure. From then on the burden of toil weighs upon him, and takes on the form of slavery, and often is a crushing and fruitless effort. Man comes to curse his labour, forgetting its true meeting -- that it is an adventure to which God and His goodness has called him....

The fact is that despite the fall, despite all men’s disobedience, work still preserves, in part at least, and by God’s grace, the significance He gave it. It is a gift from God, like life itself. (Paul Tournier, The Adventure of Living, pages 74,75)

The Top 5 Plus (September 13)

As might be expected, several of the articles I’m recommending from this past week deal with 1) the assassination of Charlie Kirk and 2) the murder of Iryna Zarutska, the abhorrent absurdities involved in the murderer’s being anywhere other than prison, and the subsequent media treatment (more to the point, the lack thereof) of the horror. 

1) 4 Reflections on Charlie Kirk’s Assassination (Joshua Arnold, Washington Stand)

Also note: “Charlie Kirk’s assassination is latest evidence that US is suffering an epidemic of leftist violence” (Miranda Devine, New York Post)...”The Left Has Never Been Held Accountable For Political Violence -- And That Must Change” (Mark Hemingway, Federalist)...”European Parliament snubs request for Charlie Kirk minute of silence after assassination” (Emma Bussey, Fox News)...”Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Is a Turning Point for America” (Rob Wasinger, American Greatness)...”After Charlie Kirk’s Murder, There Can Be No More Both-Sides-ism” (Elle Purnell, Federalist)...”House Democrats Object to Prayer for Charlie Kirk’s Family” (Joshua Arnold, Washington Stand)

2) “The Unspeakable Evil Progressives Have Unleashed Strikes in Charlotte” (Beege Welborn, Hot Air)

Also on this critical matter, see: “From Rabble-Rousing to Rabble Snoozing: Journalists do whatever the narrative requires at the moment, but does it still work?” (Glenn Harlan Reynolds, Substack)...“The Image That Killed the Democrats in 2026 and Beyond” (Athena Thorne, PJ Media)...“The Charlotte Stabbing Didn’t Fit The Media’s Preferred Narrative, So They Buried It” (M.D. Kittle, Federalist)...“A Woman Is Murdered, And The Media Rush To Defend Democrats By Calling It ‘Political’” (Eddie Scarry, Federalist)

3) “Trump-Era Task Force Exposes Widespread Anti-Christian Bias Under Biden Administration” (Sarah Arnold, Town Hall)

From the article -- Among the most glaring examples are the Department of Defense and other agencies' routine denials of religious exemptions to Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, despite constitutional protections and federal law allowing such requests. These denials continued until the U.S. Supreme Court halted the mandate following a legal challenge from The Daily Wire.

Other incidents include the Department of Education’s aggressive actions against Christian universities, including steep fines against Liberty University and Grand Canyon University. The Department of the Treasury, meanwhile, has been accused of “de-banking” Christian and conservative non-profits, raising red flags about financial discrimination based on ideology.

The report also blasts the Biden Justice Department for its lopsided enforcement of the FACE Act, a law intended to protect both abortion clinics and religious institutions. Under Biden, the law was used almost exclusively to prosecute pro-life activists—some of whom were non-violent and elderly—while dozens of churches and pregnancy centers were vandalized or firebombed with little federal response.

4) “As Persecution of Free Speech Widens in the West, Believers Must Stand Firm” (Kathy Athearn, Washington Stand)

From the article -- Finally, Farage brought to light two famous cases which reveal the devasting effects that the so-called Online Safety Act has had on individuals and families in the United Kingdom: Linehan’s case and that of Lucy Connelly. “[Connelly] put out an intemperate tweet after the savage murder of … three beautiful young girls: she, herself, a mother who had lost a child. It was intemperate. It was wrong, but she removed it three and a half hours later. Sentenced to 31 months in prison, she’s now out, having served 40% of the time.”

Farage pointed out that the comedian who was arrested last week, Linehan, isn’t even a British citizen — he’s Irish. Therefore, what happened to him could happen to any American who goes to England and has posted things online that the British government doesn’t like. He cautioned, “This legislation we’ve got will damage trade between our countries, threaten free speech across the West. … So I’ve come today as well to be a claxon to say to you: don’t allow piece by piece this to happen here in America. And you would be doing us and yourselves and all freedom-loving people a favor if your politicians and your businesses said to the British government, ‘You’ve simply got this wrong.’”

5) “Girls Are Getting More Credentialed But Less Educated” (Meg Marie Johnson, Federalist)

From the article -- Much of the media marketed to women is morally and intellectually depraved. While the most popular podcasts for men, such as The Joe Rogan Experience and The Art of Manliness, delve into philosophical and cultural issues, the most popular podcasts for women, such as Call Her Daddy and My Favorite Murder, focus on debased gossip and gnarly true crime. Dating shows are incredibly vacuous, and rom-coms tend to be vapid and crass. Self-proclaimed smut is the reigning genre in women’s literature. Instagram and TikTok are often mediums for women to seek attention for their bodies rather than their hearts and minds. 

It brings to mind Mary Wollstonecraft’s lamentations that women in 18th-century Europe were raised to be brainless ornaments. Yes, women are more credentialed than they have ever been, but are they being truly educated? Oddly enough, women have more schooling opportunities than ever before, but many girls are still raised to be empty-headed and vain. 

While women are more secularly educated than they ever have been, sadly, the education of the heart and mind has widely been neglected. Women are trained for careers but not intellectually or morally nourished. We live in a day when “many are schooled but few are [truly] educated.” Women’s minds are not being cultivated for holier and higher things. 

Other recommended reads from this week?

*  “When The Education System Denigrates Faith, Morality, And Families, They Reap What They Sow” (Tom Gilbreath, Harbinger's Daily)  

* “Agnostic Cofounder of Wikipedia Converts to Traditional Anglicanism” (Jules Gomes, The Stream)

* “Three More Examples of Why You Don’t Hate Media Nearly Enough” (Duane Patterson, Hot Air)

* “12th Grade Reading and Math Scores Hit 20-Year Low” (John Nolte, Breitbart)

* “After Facing Backlash, ‘Christian’ TV Personalities Double Down On LGBT Promotion With New Game Show” (Addison Smith, Harbinger's Daily)

The Latest Vital Signs Newsletter

Because our August schedule was so full of eventful ministry, this month’s letter is a straightforward newsletter. 

And it's right here.

Everything I Needed to Know I Learned from Sherlock Holmes!

Well, it was just about this time in 1902 that Sir James Damery came to 221B Baker Street in London to consult the great detective Sherlock Holmes about what Dr. Watson eventually described as “The Adventure of the Illustrious Client.” Ah yes, it’s one of the most provocative cases in Holmes' long and illustrious career. And with the September chill in the air this morning, I recalled that exciting case and remembered an item I decided upon a couple of weeks ago; namely, to provide in a Vital Signs Blog post the links to all four compilations I made many years ago featuring quotations from the marvelous Sherlock Holmes series. Any fan of the great sleuth will find them of interest...and value. So here they are, all four lists of “Everything I Needed to Know I Learned from Sherlock Holmes!”

“Everything I Needed to Know I Learned from Sherlock Holmes!” (Volume One.

“Everything I Needed to Know I Learned from Sherlock Holmes!” (Volume Two.

“Everything I Needed to Know I Learned from Sherlock Holmes!” (Volume Three.

“Everything I Needed to Know I Learned from Sherlock Holmes!” (Volume Four.)

The Top 5 Plus (September 6)

1) Violent Attacks Against Christians Increase As Global Media Turns A Blind Eye (Harbinger's Daily)

From the article -- Those speaking out against these atrocities are concerned over the lack of coverage by prominent news sources and attention from political leaders around the world. Some have attributed the removal of nations, such as Nigeria, from the Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) and lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria as global measures that would have otherwise kept pressure on entities that severely violate international religious freedom.  

As many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are persecuted, driven underground, and even martyred for a faith that some take for granted, continue to pray that the joy of the Lord is their strength, that they would continue to shine their light to the lost even under such intense pressure, and that peace would come to their land.

2) Federal And State Law Enforcers Must Tackle Deadly Abortion Drug Cartel (Kristan Hawkins and Kristi Stone Hamrick, Federalist)

From the article -- From the article -- Aid Access, an international pill pusher headed by Rebecca Gomperts, claims to have profited from more than 200,000 U.S. abortions since 2018. From July 2023 to August 2024, 84 percent of chemical abortion pills it sold went to states with limits on abortion, according to a recent report. That’s not an accident; it’s a business plan. 

Gomperts regularly preens in the media about her deadly operation, pointing out her get-out-of-accountability-free card and telling reporters “I don’t care” about pro-life laws. “Where I work from, it’s legal to prescribe the medications. And so I’ll do that,” Gomperts told CBS.

3) The Persecution of Graham Linehan Should Terrify Us (Lauren Smith, The European Conservative)

From the article -- We can argue about proportionality or the lack thereof, but it’s impossible to talk about this awful display of totalitarianism without acknowledging that it is Linehan’s beliefs that are really being interrogated here. Yes, someone, somewhere found what he wrote offensive. But there is no real victim in this case. Rather, it is an opportunity for the state to flex its censorious muscles. Linehan wrote on Substack that, during his run-in with the law, he was quizzed about his views on “trans people.” When Linehan asked the copper what exactly he meant by that term, he said: “People who feel their gender is different than what was assigned at birth.” Linehan, very correctly, pushed back against the phrase “assigned at birth,” pointing out that it was activist language. The officer brushed this aside as “semantics,” but it’s clear that this is what Linehan’s persecution has been about—the fact that he refuses to say the magic words “transwomen are women.”

All this becomes even more absurd when you consider the fact that what Linehan believes is not some fringe, extremist position. It is a view held by the majority of normal people. Most Brits don’t want men in women’s bathrooms, prisons, or hospital wards. It’s even a belief that is, theoretically, backed up by law. Have we forgotten that, in April, the UK Supreme Court ruled that gender is defined by biology, for the purposes of the Equality Act (2010)? And that gender-critical views should—again, theoretically—be a protected belief under that same act? No matter the many, many flaws of the Supreme Court and the Equality Act, this is still the law. So why is it that it seems to be applied so selectively? 

4) Trump Astride at Seven Months: Seven months in, Trump has curbed illegal immigration, steadied the economy, and scored foreign policy wins -- while Democrats flounder without a counteragenda. (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

From the article -- Many of the left’s cherished totems—massive Green New Deal subsidies, the diversity/equity/inclusion industry, biological males competing in women’s sports, and the USAID revolving door—are either comatose or in their death throes. The historic drop-off in military recruitment reversed shortly after Trump took office. Republican voter registration is up, and Democratic registration is down. Abroad, Trump finds remarkable successes.

5) The Choice: Trump or Obama -- MAGA influencers who attack Israel, Jews, and Trump’s Iran policy are fighting for the former president’s policies and allies—and his program of national euthanasia. (Lee Smith, Tablet)

From the article -- MAGA influencer attacks on Israel and pro-Israel activism have become so commonplace that even Megyn Kelly, a longtime supporter of Israel, has joined in piling on Israel. During her interview with Greene, she empathized with the congresswoman’s fearful exasperation after having to reject several offers of all-expenses-paid AIPAC trips to the Holy Land. “I’m looking at Israel in a different way right now than I was on Oct. 8,” Kelly said, concurring with Greene. “And I can feel the pressure being slightly ratcheted up.” Greene told Kelly that “Israel is the only country I know of that has some sort of incredible influence and control over nearly every single one of my colleagues.”

She was lying. D.C. insiders like Greene and Kelly know that Washington’s pro-China lobby runs nonstop congressional delegations to the People’s Republic, where they’re wined and dined by Communist Party officials. The pro-China lobby can afford to stuff Americans with a bottomless buffet of Peking duck and moo shu pork because it is extraordinarily wealthy, thanks largely to the huge trade surplus China runs with the United States, which since China’s 2001 entry into the World Trade Organization amounts to many trillions of U.S. dollars. The pro-China lobby’s enormous budget dwarves the pro-Israel lobby, allowing it to exert enormous influence over Congress. 

Other important reads for this weekend:

* Trump Should Take Down The American Medical Association’s Licensing Grift (Rachel Bovard, Federalist)

* An alternative universe: Hamas’s war against civilization pivots on its war against the Western and Israeli mind. (Melanie Phillips, JNS)

* Christians must unite against the evil Starmer stands for (John Hale, TCW)

* Transgender Mass Murderers: The Drugs and Demons That Drive Them -- Drugs, hormones, ideology, and the devil make for a deadly cocktail. (Melissa Mackenzie, American Spectator)

* Anonymous Federal Judges Go To War Against the Supreme Court: These people are not judges, they're operatives. (Daniel Greenfield, Front Page Mag)