Is One's Salvation A "Done Deal?"

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation —having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Believing the gospel of salvation results in many supernatural and ongoing effects in a person’s life.  And one of the most glorious and comforting is the truth the apostle Paul describes in the verse quoted above; namely, that the Christian is sealed with the Holy Spirit to guarantee the ultimate redemption he will receive in heaven.  You see, the New Testament explains that when a person places his trust in Jesus Who died on the cross to pay the penalty of mankind’s sins, that sinner is forgiven -- completely and forever. 

And that salvation comes with three effects: 

1) The person, at the very instant of his belief in Christ’s atoning death in his behalf, is saved from the penalty of sin.  That’s right; the judgment of God against sin no long rests on the sinner because it was poured out instead upon Jesus. This is the “substitutionary atonement.” Christ died in our place to pay the price of our sin. It is the aspect of salvation that is called justification.

2) The Christian can also be saved from the power of sin in his life for he has been “born again” and is a new creature, indwelled by the Holy Spirit Who gives the believer the ability to resist temptations and live in holiness. This is the aspect of salvation that is called sanctification.  

And 3) The Christian will one day experience a salvation from the very presence of sin. The Christian who receives Christ as his Savior immediately experiences the first two effects of salvation. But the third effect will be realized when Christ receives His adopted child into His presence and ushers him into the heavenly home He has prepared for him. This is the aspect of salvation that is called glorification.

It is this third aspect of salvation that Paul highlights in the Ephesians 1:13-14 passage.  And he repeats the point later in verse 30 of Chapter 4: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”  But these aren’t the only times Paul underscores how the destiny of the Christian has been sealed by the power of God.  For instance, he comforts the church members of Corinth (2 Corinthians 1:22) by reminding them that they are sealed, representing God’s pledge (literally, a down payment) on their heavenly inheritance. 

Also, in 2 Timothy 2:19, Paul’s young protégé is exhorted to remember that God’s seal is not only related to a believer’s eternal standing but also to his present experience.  In that verse Timothy is told that the seal of God is a “firm foundation” reflecting not only God’s ownership and protection of His children but also the motive and empowerment for their holy living.

The basic Greek word translated “seal” in these instances is sphragis.  It is a word connected with ownership, security, authority, and permanency.  Therefore, its use by the apostle Paul is a dramatic illustration of how wonderfully secure is the believer’s position in Christ -- fully forgiven, redeemed, empowered for holiness and service, and yes, guaranteed an entrance into God’s heaven. For, of course, the seal of God is unlike any earthly counterpart we can imagine. We’re not talking about Saran Wrap, Tupperware, or latex caulking here! Oh no; the gifts which God seals in us will never evaporate, never leak out, never be contaminated or weakened by a foreign substance, never lose power.  

Summary? Our relationship with God including, of course, all three aspects of salvation (justification, sanctification, and glorification) can be thoroughly and joyfully depended upon. The deal is truly sealed.

The Top 5 (April 12)

1) “With Loss of Power in Congress, the Left Turns to Theatrics” (Victor Davis Hanson, Daily Signal)

From the article -- I’ve mentioned in other videos that there’s been a poverty among the Democratic Party of constructive criticism, alternate agendas to President Donald Trump.

In other words, without power in the Congress or the White House or the Supreme Court, they’ve turned to theatrics or performance art, street violence, the Teslas, cutting videos with potty-mouth senators, profanity, trying to disrupt Congress, keying Teslas, threatening people. This huge 1,400 protest—I shouldn’t say they’re huge, they were actually quite small. You know, “Hands Off.”

It’s kind of funny. I see these people in their late 60s and early 70s, mostly white people, and they seem to have the same signs, the same agenda, and they leave at the same time. They kind of look like my baby boomer group. And I always think back when I was at UC Santa Cruz in 1971 and I see these people. I said, “I would think you were the people that I went to school with. And you were doing that when you were 18, 19, and 20, and you haven’t changed. You’ve learned nothing and forgotten nothing.”

2) “Don’t Be Neutral on Abortion” (Denny Hartford, Vital Signs Ministries)

From the article -- With all of this, however, what I find most revolting about MOD’s official statement is the shameful arrogance of using this weasel word in the first place. Really? Neutral on abortion? Neutral on the practice of poisoning and/or dismemberment of millions of living preborn boys and girls? Of course, the March of Dimes knows better than any the facts of embryology. They are also well aware of the horrific measures utilized to kill these little kids. And yet they have no inclination or time, no honesty or moral sensitivity to make a judgment on abortion -- the most barbaric and horrific crime in all history? This is utterly irrational...as well as immoral.

And yet, as remarkably stupid and depraved as the MOD’s posturing is, I am grieved to say that oh-so-many Christian churches in the West have followed a not dissimilar policy. Let’s face it -- for several decades now, abortionists have been torturing and murdering preborn boys and girls at an incalculable rate. And with barely a ripple of protest. Does anyone believe then that the Church’s response to this malevolent madness has been what God wanted from us?

Haven’t we tended to be weak and timid and compromising in our response to this evil? After all, this holocaust hasn’t been perpetrated underground; it’s not been a campaign of violence occurring across an ocean. The abortion mills are in our neighborhoods. And Planned Parenthood and its ilk are in our schools and libraries, in our Girl Scout chapters and social service agencies, and, due to immense government funding using our tax dollars, in our wallets.

3) “Catholicism on the Decline in the US: There is a crisis of belief in the Catholic Church. Will the priests and bishops of America remedy that?” (S.A. McCarthy, American Spectator)

From the article -- Less than two-thirds of Catholics said that they are sure that God exists. However, while nearly 90 percent of Catholics said that they believe in Heaven, less than 70 percent said that they believe in Hell. Only 21 percent of Catholics said that they consider themselves very religious, 55 percent said that they are somewhat religious, and nearly a quarter (24 percent) said that they are not really religious or not religious at all.

According to these numbers and Pew Research’s 2007 data, Catholicism is on the decline in America. Not only do fewer Americans identify as Catholic, but those who do are less involved in the practice of their faith. In 2007, nearly 60 percent of Catholics said that they prayed daily, as opposed to 13 percent who said that they rarely or never prayed; meanwhile, over 40 percent of Catholics said that they attend Mass every Sunday, as opposed to 19 percent who said that they rarely or never attended Mass.

With such low shares of the Catholic population practicing or really even knowing about their faith, it should come as little surprise that many self-professed Catholics have abandoned the teachings of the Catholic Church. Nearly 60 percent of self-professed Catholics said that abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances and less than 40 percent said that abortion should be illegal in all or most circumstances; in 2007, 48 percent of self-professed Catholics said that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 45 percent said that it should be illegal. In 2007, 57 percent of self-professed Catholics said that they support same-sex marriage. That share has risen to 70 percent today. The Catholic Church declares both abortion and homosexual acts to be grave sins.

4) “Teachers Need to Ditch Their Union: Teachers' unions are bad for teachers, students, and taxpayers.” (Larry Sand, American Greatness)

From the article -- When teachers join a union, they are joining three—their local, state, and national affiliates. And the bulk of their dues money is not going where they think it goes. The NEA currently siphons off $213 yearly, but most of the money goes to the state affiliate. In the Golden State, the California Teachers Association, the NEA’s state partner, grabs $816 yearly. There is no set amount for the local union; however, it is typically about $200 per annum.

How does the union spend the dues? As explained by Mailee Smith, Illinois Policy Institute’s senior director of labor policy, the NEA’s spending on politics and other contributions is more than four times higher than its spending on representation, with just 9% of its expenditures on teacher representation, which should be its core focus.

And just who benefits from the political spending? As Open Secrets discloses, in 2024, NEA spent $22,744,023 on politics, with 98.24% going to Democrats and a paltry 1.76% going to Republicans.

5) “The Vatican’s Embrace of Sex Change Mutilation Suggests We’re at a Maccabees Moment” (John Zmirak, The Stream)

From the article -- All Christians face a Maccabees moment right now, but Catholics face it in a very pointed way: We actually have a high priest (pontifex maximus) in Pope Francis. Given his authority to teach and rule, his status is even higher than the chief priest’s in Jerusalem’s Temple: According to Catholic tradition, a pope stands almost in the same role that Moses did to the Israelites, as the trustworthy interpreter of divine revelation to the faithful.

Our current Moses isn’t handing down God’s commandments, alas. As Jules Gomes reported here a few days ago, Pope Francis’s doctrine cop, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s old job), has blown up a key Christian doctrine: God’s creation of human beings as men and women.

Up till now, the Catholic church has firmly and without wavering denounced the hormonal disruptions and surgical mutilations promoted by our psychological establishment to “treat” gender dysphoria by remaking the body to match the mind’s sad delusions. Now Fernández has ruled that there are exceptions to this teaching in cases of “strong dysphorias that can lead to an unbearable existence or even suicide.”

Here Fernández is simply repeating a favorite talking point of the transgender industry: that the grotesque procedures necessary to torture a male body to look female, or vice versa, are often the only alternative to suicide. Research has proved this claim false again and again, but don’t expect that to matter. Claiming that resistance to transgenderism threatens the lives of those who suffer dysphoria is key to winning a highly political battle. Fernández is on the Enemy’s side in that battle — and evidently Francis is as well.

“Don’t Be Neutral on Abortion”

In this month’s edition of the Vital Signs Ministries newsletter,

Denny talks about the March of Dimes’ “neutrality on abortion” and the extreme moral danger of Christians adopting the same attitude. 

Check it out at this link.

A Few Words from Sam (Sam Sorbo)

After hearing Kevin and Sam Sorbo speak the other night at a benefit for the pro-life outreach of Lincoln Pregnancy Center, Claire and I were not only impressed, we were inspired. Indeed, we've become fans and, from now on, we will be reading their books, checking out the movies produced by Sorbo Studios, and listening in to Sam Sorbo's podcast.

You might consider the same.

And, as a teaser, here are a few of the notes I jotted down as I listened to Sam's presentation. They are not necessarily direct quotes (I was writing down one line as I listened to the next!), but the ideas are nearly identical. 

* Lies bring death. And there are so many liars today with so few truth speakers. Do you know the truth? Then begin to share it! Share it boldly; share it often.

* Our culture denigrates the value of children. In our selfishness and hedonism (s well as our ZPG ideologies), we try to avoid them. If they show up, we murder them before they get a chance. We manipulate (and even surgically mutilate) children in the guise of “progressive sexuality.” We sell them to thugs to be abused in the most horrendous ways. And in our government school system, we make sure they remain ignorant intellectually, compliant to secular authority, and highly skeptical of religion.

* The Progressive State doesn’t want smart people. The Progressive State doesn’t want a free people.

* Instead of saying “pregnant,” let’s say the woman is “with child.” See the noble difference? (An example from her book Words for Warriors.)

* Don’t think of sacrificing for your kids as mere sacrifice, but as a noble, loving investment -- an investment in them and in the world.

* What do the government schools teach? Don’t ask. Don’t try. Don’t read. Don’t think. Therefore, don’t give your kids to the government schools.

Chastity: The 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does chastity mean? 

Simple. In the context of sexuality, chastity is refraining from sexual intercourse before marriage -- and then practicing fidelity, understanding, and kindness during marriage.

2. Why should I practice chastity? 

Well, there are a whole lot of reasons including the often-overlooked spiritual values of purity. But here are a few specifics:

* You won’t have to worry about an unplanned pregnancy, a very real prospect for the sexually active. And yes, pregnancy is quite common even when various forms of “birth control” are being used. For instance, birth control failure rates among American teens are almost 20%. And that includes those condoms that advocates of “safe sex” (a tragic misnomer, indeed) are always pushing. Scientific fact? Condoms fail in pregnancy prevention 18%-35% of the time!

* You’ll be free of sexually transmitted disease. 12 million people contract a STD every year. That’s 33,000 people every day! And remember, besides “safe sex” not only being an effective defense against pregnancy, it isn’t all that safe for you in itself. For instance, condoms are not effective in preventing you from acquiring, say...Chlamydia, HIV/AIDs, or the Human Papilloma-virus. Yipes!

* You won’t have to deal with the loss of self-respect, loss of innocence, worry, distractions from important life goals, guilt, a ruined reputation, exploitation and so on. Plus, you’ll not be burdened with “damage control” problems (physical and/or emotional) that prior sexual involvement inevitably brings into your marriage.

3. But what if I really love my boyfriend (or girlfriend)?

 Isn’t having sex okay then? 

No; it isn’t. True love is about commitment and loyalty. It is serving and honoring the other person, seeking their very best. It is not exploitive.Authentic, self-sacrificing doesn’t push for momentary, risky, physical pleasure being paramount in the relationship.

A couple dedicated to one another in marriage exemplify genuine love, a relationship that values one another’s total personal (spirit, intellect, emotions, dreams and aspirations) and not only the physical.

4. How can I say “no” without losing my boyfriend (girlfriend)? 

Set your standards high and don’t compromise. Realize that the person who insists on having their way physically is not someone who has your best interests in mind. That’s not love. That’s merely using you which is a very bad precedent for your life together...even if you manage to stay together for awhile. Don’t settle for less than real love.

5. I have already had sex.

So, I guess it’s too late for me to think about chastity, right? 

No, not at all. It is never too late to begin doing the right things. You can always start over. And, as a Christian, I certainly stress the availability of forgiveness and empowerment that comes from believing in Jesus Christ. No one was perfect except Jesus. And He paid your penalty and mine when He was crucified. A new start is what Christianity is all about. And a practical application of that wonderful truth is this -- chastity is within our grasp today. Yesterday’s sins and hassles don’t need to enslave us. Let’s start fresh and pure and resolved to get it right this time.

Look at it this way. Say you’ve done something foolish and spent all the money in your savings account. Does that mean you can never start saving money again? Of course not. Despite the seriousness of the loss, you simply start from here on.  It’s the same way with your sexual lifestyle. 

Whatever has happened before, realize it is time to start “saving” again. Begin right now to save sex for its intended purpose -- and that’s the delightful, exciting, bonding experience you will share with your future spouse. And among the dividends of your “saving sex” for the right person and the right time are all those terrific benefits to your health, your heart, your mind, and your true love.

Chastity? It’s a winning lifestyle any way you look at it.

The Top 5 (April 5)

1) “Europe’s Latest Attacks On Free Speech And Free Elections Prove Vance’s Munich Warning Right” (Elle Purnell, Federalist)

From the article -- Vance called out the U.K., Germany, Sweden, and the European Union for censoring and criminalizing the free expression of their citizens, citing police raids against Germans for comments posted online and the prosecution of a British man who dared to pray in silence outside of an abortion facility. ‘Across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat,” he said. 

That may have been an understatement.

2) “It was the woke elites who ‘purged’ America’s museums, not Donald Trump” (Brendan O'Neill, spiked!)

From the article -- What’s the real ‘purge’ here? The Trump administration expressing disapproval of such hyper-racial propaganda in a federal-funded museum? Or the museum’s own erasure of the late 20th-century belief that we should treat people as individuals rather than as members of a racial bloc with their own distinctive ‘traits’? It’s the latter, isn’t it? They purged the spirit of MLK, not least by suggesting black people don’t do ‘objective, rational linear thinking’, and Trump’s just asking them to stop.

The order tells us that the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Museum is planning to celebrate the ‘exploits of male athletes’ who play in ‘women’s sports’. It’s true. The museum believes there is no ‘monolithic experience of womanhood’ and it plans to ‘include transgender women’ – ie, fellas – in its documenting of ‘women’s history’. If it’s a ‘purge’ to say men should be excluded from the category of womanhood, I guess I support purges now. What next: accusing London’s Science Museum of a ‘purge’ because it has no exhibitions on the magical healing of witch doctors?

On this topic, see also: “Restoring Sanity to American History” (Anne Love, Washington Stand)

3) “UK Police Arrest Parents, Jail Them For Criticizing School Policies” (David Strom, Hot Air)

From the article -- When Maxie Allen complained to his daughter’s primary school about the recruitment process for a new head teacher, he hoped it would result in more openness and transparency.

Instead six uniformed officers from Hertfordshire police were sent to arrest Allen and his partner after the school objected to them sending numerous emails and to their criticisms including “disparaging” comments on a parents’ WhatsApp group.

Allen and Rosalind Levine were detained in front of their young daughter before being fingerprinted, searched and left in a police cell for eight hours. They were questioned on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications and causing a nuisance on school property. After a five-week investigation, police concluded there should be no further action.

The couple had previously been banned from entering Cowley Hill Primary School, in Borehamwood, after questioning the appointment process for a head and “casting aspersions” on the chair of governors on WhatsApp.

They say they were blocked from attending the parents’ evening for their daughter Sascha, nine, and were not allowed to be in the audience for her Christmas performance. Crucially, even though Sascha suffers from epilepsy and is neurodivergent and registered disabled, the couple were unable to meet teachers to inform them how to administer medication and ask questions about her learning progress.

4) “Don't You Know This City Belongs to Muslims?’: The Persecution of Christians” (Raymond Ibrahim, Gatestone Institute)

From the article -- Pakistan: A Muslim man twice abducted a married Christian mother of three, raped her, fraudulently converted her to Islam, and fabricated an Islamic marriage, said her Christian husband, Asif Masih (woman's named withheld as a rape victim). The kidnapper, Muhammad, worked as a security guard where the 37-year-old mother worked as a cleaner. One day he told her of an opportunity to apply for financial aid, and she went with him to fill out what he said were governmental forms for economically challenged applicants; she also gave her thumbprint as part of the application. In fact, and unbeknownst to her, the documents she signed were marriage and conversion to Islam certificates:

“I had no clue about his real intentions and trusted his offer for assistance... I’m not literate, so I had no idea that he had obtained my thumbprints to prepare false religious conversion and marriage certificates. He then forcibly took me to his house, where his wife and two children were also present. He locked me in a room where I was kept hostage for eight days."

Muhammad also called the woman's husband, Asif, who is suffering from cancer, saying that she had willingly married him and converted to Islam: “[But when Muhammad] claimed that she had changed her faith and married him, I immediately knew that it was a lie because she was a devout Christian and could not renounce Christ even if her life was at stake. She was clearly deceived by Sadiq, who used the false conversion certificate and marriage to deter efforts to recover her.”

After a council of elders pressured Muhammad to release the woman, on condition that the matter would be dropped without recourse to legal action, the kidnapper agreed -- until Feb. 14, when he and two accomplices again abducted her: “[Muhammad] held me hostage in a relative’s house and repeatedly tortured and raped me on gunpoint for three days.”

On Feb. 17, she managed to escape and return to her family: “I had no money with me and begged passersby to give me some so that I could board a bus to Pattoki. I was traumatized by the assaults, but the hope of seeing my husband and children again gave me the strength to reach my family.”

Police were again alerted, but were reluctant to act, until an attorney got involved. He helped to get the woman's statement recorded in court and facilitated a medical examination on March 4: “It is due to her support that the case has picked up pace, otherwise the police were not cooperating with us.”

And here’s one on a topic I had never heard about – 

5) “Top Ten Reasons To Run From The Enneagram” (Mark Baker, Hope for Life)

From the article -- For the past few years, the Enneagram has been steadily increasing in popularity, including within the Church. As with any new(er) teaching that is introduced, believers have a great responsibility to thoroughly examine and accurately vet it according to Scripture (Acts 17:11; Is 8:19-20; 1 Thess 5:21; 1 Jn 4:5-6). Of course, this is especially true if we are going to teach any particular idea to others.

By now, after several years of increasing popularity of the Enneagram, there are many people who have already done the heavy lifting when it comes to researching and distinguishing the problems in the Enneagram (see links below). For our purposes here, we will simply list the main problems and reasons why believers should stay far away from this decidedly unbiblical ideology, and, instead, should lovingly warn others (Jas 5:19-20).

An Open Letter to Senator Deb Fischer

Dear Senator Fischer,

Just a quick list of a few of the reasons I am writing you this morning...

* As you know, Senator, Planned Parenthood is NOT a charity nor is it an honest health care provider. It is, in fact, a mega-abortion profiteer which not only charges women for barbarically destroying their preborn children but which also sucks in an almost unbelievable flood of dollars from federal and state governments.

* Indeed, more than 1/3 of Planned Parenthood’s millions come from American taxpayers. And that amount is more than $2,000,000 a day!

* The scandal of Planned Parenthood’s lack of integrity and quality care is increasing as more women are maimed and even killed by shoddy and callous abortionists. My goodness, even the New York Times has begun to report on the botched abortions, the IUDs implanted in pregnant women, the delays in calling for emergency medical care when their patients are in life-threatening distress, and so on.

* And those vast amounts of money that Planned Parenthood draws isn’t going to help women. It is instead going to further the efforts of the Democrat party. Oh yes, except for the money needed for the exorbitant salaries of their leadership. Case in point? Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson’s yearly salary of $904,014.

Senator Fisher, as a dependable friend of the pro-life movement, you know this is the best chance the nation has had in many years to defund Planned Parenthood. So, let’s get this thing done, okay? Thank you.

Most sincerely,

Denny Hartford
Director, Vital Signs Ministries
Omaha, Nebraska

An Open Letter to Congressman Don Bacon

Dear Congressman Bacon,

I write this morning with a polite appeal for you to spend less time and effort on criticizing President Trump’s long overdue actions to save the Republic and instead pursue with greater dedication the conservative goals you have promised your constituency over the years. Yes, I know you might be enjoying these new opportunities to make a small splash with the liberal media by playing the contrarian to President Trump, but the tone and timing of your criticisms have been a very sad disappointment to those of us who have enthusiastically supported you in the past. 

We certainly wish you would concentrate less on being popular with the cool kids of the discredited “old guard” media and more on de-funding the mega-abortion profiteer Planned Parenthood, better protecting voter integrity and efficiency, and helping the President overcome the attacks of far-left judges in his attempt to make America more prosperous, more free, and more safe.

And, before I close this letter, may I quickly return to my request for greater involvement on your part on the pro-life issues that you have publicly pledged support for in the past. We would like to see inspiring, efficient leadership on this front. Why not take some of these new media opportunities to champion the cause of preborn boys and girls? Also, I note (again with disappointment) that you have declined to co-sponsor several very important pro-life measures in the current Congress. Among those have been H.R. 7 (No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2025), H.R. 272 (Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act of 2025), H.R.589 (FACE Act Repeal Act of 2025), and H.R.682 (Heartbeat Protection Act of 2025). Let’s remedy that oversight this week, okay?

Most sincerely,

Denny Hartford
Director, Vital Signs Ministries
Omaha, Nebraska

The Top 5 (March 29)

1) “Former RFK running mate Nicole Shanahan: Celebrating abortions is ‘fundamentally anti-human’” (Kelli Keane, Live Action)

From the article -- “I was such a Planned Parenthood freedom of choice maximalist. Prior to joining politics, I couldn’t see anything negative to Planned Parenthood and what it represented,” Shanahan said. “Since I was a little girl, the women’s movement was always around abortion and the freedom to choose and bodily autonomy. Even months in, I couldn’t imagine ever being pro-life or understanding the pro-life perspective.”

But certain powerful experiences Shanahan had on the campaign trail opened her eyes to the truth...

2) “October 7th, Lord Roberts and the Most Important Report of the Year” (Eric Lipman, Times of Israel)

From the article -- And as readers make their way through the report, they will learn a lot that has not been widely publicized before; such as: Hamas’s planning for this attack was underway for seven years before October 7; and that the supply lines for the sophisticated weaponry used by Hamas during the attacks do not just run back to Teheran, but also to Moscow, and Beijing, and Pyongyang. The October 7 horror story has profound implications for the safety of the entire Western World.

In this respect, Lord Roberts’ shining a light into the darkest places on Earth recalls Eisenhower’s steely determination and foresightedness following the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps.

Be sure to not that the article includes a direct link to Lord Roberts' original report: "7 October Parliamentary Commission Report (Chaired by Lord Roberts of Belgravia)"

3) “How the New York Times Is Killing America” (John Kass)

From the article -- But in the 21st Century an amazing thing happened to the media. Even as they mouthed their cliches about “speaking truth to power,” America’s corporate media began to openly revel at their participation in the power structure alongside their classmates and elites in the increasingly dominant managerial class. They became the willful tip of the spear for Deep State censorship and misinformation operations against populist challenges.

The Chicago political world was all about accountability not to the people, but to their fellow warlords. But the New York Times was accountable to no one.

Because of its dominant position in corporate journalism, the New York Times has never been held accountable. It leverages corporate media but has never taken responsibility for misinformation and malfeasance. The newspaper’s lies have been rewarded with dominant market position and those Pulitzer Prizes based on lies were wrapped adulation based on fear.

Far from its carefully nurtured Hollywood image as the fearless speaker of “truth to power,” the old gray lady is the newspaper of the Deep State and the American Kemalists who control and feed the Deep State.

But now, following abuses of journalism that have finally reached critical mass in the public consciousness, the New York Times has yet again become the object of ridicule by recently publishing a pathetic defense of its COVID coverage, misleading readers even as it bleats “We Were Badly Misled.”

4) “Foundation Aims to ‘Decolonize’ Shakespeare in His Own Hometown” (Jarrett Stepman, Daily Signal)

From the article -- The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which manages William Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, has reportedly announced that it will “decolonize” future celebrations of the great playwright over concerns that his works could be used to promote “white supremacy.”

There have been enough stories like these over the years to know that this isn’t a Babylon Bee satirical report. It’s real...

Among the other things the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust finds problematic about Shakespeare—whom they don’t seem to particularly like—is that he’s been portrayed as a “universal” genius and that establishing his works as a foundation for high art reinforces “Anglo-cultural supremacy.”

According to a research project sponsored by the trust in 2022, celebrating Shakespeare has promoted the idea of British “superiority” and thereby “has caused harm.” The project reportedly urged the trust to stop calling Shakespeare the “greatest,” instead urging it to praise him as part of a community of “equal and different” writers.

Related: “Shakespeare’s ‘Decolonizers’ Are Making Much Ado About Nothing” (Auguste Meyrat, Federalist)

5) “How scientists misled the world about Covid’s origins: The suppression of the lab-leak theory is the mother of all Covid scandals.” (Matt Ridley, spiked!)

From the article -- It was the first of many dreadful mistakes made by the government during the Covid pandemic: shutting schools at the behest of unions, assuming the virus was not airborne, vaccinating children, overclaiming for vaccines and masks. The government thought it knew best and it let us down.

But all those errors pale beside the biggest one of the lot, and the one that has done most to undermine trust in scientists – that is, the initial insistence that the virus did not originate in a laboratory accident. We now know that it almost certainly did. The evidence is overwhelming, as I have rehearsed many times. And it now includes a huge stack of documents – inadvertently made public and spotted by two open-source investigators, ‘Billy Bostickson’ and Gilles Demaneuf – that shows just how systematically we were deceived about this mother of all scandals.

Attention Readers (and Talkers)

We have already alerted you about the next Vital Signs Book Brunch on April 12, 10 AM, at the Hartford home in northwest Omaha. The book under discussion will be the classic Lord Foulgrins’s Letters written by one of our favorite contemporary authors, Randy Alcorn from Eternal Perspective Ministries. (FYI -- The book can be obtained for less than $10 at the EPM site itself.) 

However, there's yet another title that's come along which a few of us are reading...also with a view to an informal discussion together. John Malek brought up his reading of John West's Stockholm Syndrome Christianity at one of our Thursday morning coffees a couple of weeks ago and recommended it. I quickly downloaded it onto our Kindle and both Claire and I are finding it a very provocative and worthwhile read. We haven't yet set a date or time for discussing West's book because...that's right...we're waiting on you to see if you're in!

Planned Parenthood Is Taking Billions of Your Tax Dollars

An excellent 1-minute clep to pass along to friends...and your Senators and Congresspersons.

The Top 5 (March 22)

1) "John Roberts’ Obsession With SCOTUS Legitimacy Has Severely Delegitimized It. -- Ending universal injunctions once and for all is the least the chief justice can do to defend not only the judiciary, but our country." (Benjamin Weingarten, Federalist))

From the article -- The chief irony of Chief Justice John Roberts’ tenure at the Supreme Court is that the man so doggedly devoted to defending the judiciary has done so much to undermine it. In so doing, he has threatened not only the court’s legitimacy but the republic itself.

His latest such act wasn’t an abomination of a ruling on the level of Obamacare, the census citizenship question, or DACA; a faulty probe into a devastating leak; or a defense of the indefensible censorship-industrial complex. It was a terse three-line statement that may prove the most consequential — and corrosive — move of them all...

Another excellent article related to the matter above is "This Mess Is of Your Own Making, Chief Justice Roberts. -- Nobody voted for judicial supremacy, and it certainly wasn’t the Founding Fathers’ intent." (Scott McKay, American Spectator)

2) "20 Facts That Will Make You Really Mad if You Stop and Think About Them for a While" (Michael Snyder, Uncanceled  News)

From the article -- Why is it that almost every statistic indicates that things have been getting worse in recent years?  Our society has been deteriorating physically, mentally, emotionally, financially and spiritually.  It is time to admit how far we have fallen.  If we continue to insist that we are doing the right things, we will continue to get the same results. And right now the results that we are getting are not good at all.  The following are 20 facts that will make you really mad if you stop and think about them for a while…

3) "'Broken Windows' and the Terrorism of Small Things. Vandalism and violence are not free speech or 'protests.'" (James H. McGee, American Spectator)

From the article -- Still, we would do well to withhold our laughter, because this kind of vandalism represents a threat to some fundamentally conservative values. It’s not just Teslas, but all manner of other targets, including those we conservatives would value. When the “Just Stop Oil” fanatics splash paint on great works of art, society bears the cost of restoration. When “Jane’s Revenge” spray paints threats on the walls of pregnancy help centers, it intimidates both those seeking help and those who provide it, and the cleanup diverts resources better spent on these women in their hour of need.

Worse yet, this kind of political vandalism nurtures progressively greater violence, moving the needle from graffiti and broken windows to destructive acts such as arson, and sooner or later, to lethal attacks. Years ago we learned to appreciate this dynamic in the context of ordinary, non-political criminality.

4) "6 key facts about the revealing New York Times exposé on Planned Parenthood’s 'crisis'" (Nancy Flanders, Live Action)

From the article -- The Times admits that after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022, Planned Parenthood “enjoyed a fund-raising boom, with $498 million in donations that year” alone. Billionaire MacKenzie Scott (ex-wife of Jeff Bezos) gave the abortion corporation $275 million to use at the national office and 21 affiliates. And though, “[o]ver the last five years, the national office has distributed more than $899 million to affiliates to help them deliver care,” according to the Times, “none of it went directly to medical services.”

“Instead,” said the Times, “under the national bylaws, the majority of the money is spent on the legal and political fight to maintain abortion rights.”

The mission of Planned Parenthood Federation of America is not to provide quality health care but to “provide leadership, advocacy and education in the field of reproductive health care.” In other words, the central work of Planned Parenthood is to advocate for legalized abortion, be a leader in the pro-abortion movement, and educate (though with false information) on so-called “reproductive health care,” ie: abortion. 

5) "A few days in London: A snapshot of a society that's lost its way" (Melanie Phillips)

From the article -- I learn that a number of Labour MPs have become intensely concerned that the Starmer government is being sucked into a catastrophically anti-Israel stance because of the rising electoral force of Britain’s Muslims to whom the party is increasingly kow-towing. Around an estimated one hundred out of 403 Labour MPs support Israel, but most don’t dare speak up in its defence because their political careers would then be over.

I ask one Labour MP who does support Israel why so many of his colleagues parrot murderous lies about the Jewish state. He looks unhappy and lowers his voice. “It’s pressure from… the community,” he murmurs. Which community, I ask? Does he mean Britain’s Muslims? He nods, wordlessly. And his Labour colleagues believe absolutely everything the BBC tells them about Gaza, he says in despair; the BBC is the prime source of the lies and the hatred of Israel in Britain.

What’s the Plot?

Ronald Tobias (professor, writer and documentary filmmaker) once wrote a book describing how the story lines of all novels, plays and movies fall into one of twenty Master Plots. It’s an interesting idea, one that has taken root in many literature classes and book club discussions. Here is Tobias’ list.

1. Quest
2. Adventure
3. Pursuit
4. Rescue
5. Escape
6. Revenge
7. The Riddle
8. Rivalry
9. Underdog
10. Temptation
11. Metamorphosis
12. Transformation
13. Maturation
14. Love
15. Forbidden Love
16. Sacrifice
17. Discovery
18. Wretched Excess
19. Ascension
20. Descension

Like I said, it’s an interesting exercise. But the problem is that Tobias’ list ends up falling all over itself; that is, there’s just too much combination, interconnection, and blurring of themes. For instance, what would Tobias select as the Master Plot of Homer’s Iliad? For, you see, the Iliad fits every single storyline in the list. No kidding, every single one.

No, I’m afraid Tobias’ list is too much like the stuff of life itself. Complex, mixed, ironic, sometimes confused, even contrary. In my own biography (and, I’d guess, yours too), all twenty themes could be competing for the title of master plot.

So how does one best go about describing the plot of any novel or play or story? Well, I do give kudos to Professor Tobias for giving it a shot (and thereby helping thousands of high school lit students). But I think one of my own high school teachers may have had the best approach. He believed the plot of a story was simply the answer to the question, “And so then what happened?”

How Well Do You Know Your Tolkien?

The photograph at left is an unfamiliar look at a very familiar 20th Century author. It is J.R.R. Tolkien, taken when he was a second lieutenant in the 11th Lancashire Fusiliers. A rather dashing fellow, what?

Anyhow, from an old New York Times I came across, here’s a rather gentle trivia quiz to test your knowledge of that talented and perceptive Lord of the Rings author. 

The answers are printed after the quiz but, be fair now, no peeking!

1. What does the J stand for in J.R.R.?
A. Joseph
B. John
C. Jacob
D. Jerome

2. What is the correct pronunciation of Tolkien?
A. toll-KINE
B. TAHL-keen
C. TOLL-key-en
D. TOLL-KEEN

3. Of what ethnic origin is the name Tolkien?
A. Irish
B. French
C. German
D. Swedish

4. In what country was Tolkien born?
A. Scotland
B. South Africa
C. Australia
D. Wales

5. What was Tolkien’s first job after serving in World War I?
A. Lexicographer
B. Hospital orderly
C. Accounting clerk
D. Newspaper reporter

6. What was Tolkien’s “day job” for over 30 years?
A. Bus driver
B. Magazine editor
C. College professor
D. Philosopher

7. One of Tolkien’s first published works was a scholarly treatment of:
A. Finnish etymology
B. German fairy tales
C. American folklore
D. Arthurian legend

8. As a result of the widespread popularity of Lord of the Rings, Tolkien:
A. Became wealthy
B. Had to move
C. Had to have an unlisted telephone number
D. All of the above

Answers:
1. What does the J stand for in J.R.R.? The correct answer is B. -- John J.R.R. stands for John Ronald Reuel. Reuel was his father’s middle name.

2. What is the correct pronunciation of Tolkien? -- According to the Tolkien Society of England, there is equal stress on both syllables.

3. Of what ethnic origin is the name Tolkien? The correct answer is C. German -- Tolkien is derived from the German language, from a word meaning “foolishly brave.”

4. In what country was Tolkien born? The correct answer is B. South Africa. -- His father had moved to South Africa for better job opportunities. Tolkien returned to England when he was four years old.

5. What was Tolkien’s first job after serving in World War I? The correct answer is A. Lexicographer. -- He worked on the Oxford English Dictionary as an assistant lexicographer.

6. What was Tolkien's “day job” for over 30 years? -- Tolkien was a professor of Anglo-Saxon and English literature at Oxford from 1925 to 1959.

7. One of Tolkien’s first published works was a scholarly treatment of: The correct answer is D. Arthurian legend. -- His Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was published in 1925, 12 years before the publication of The Hobbit.

8. As a result of the widespread popularity of Lord of the Rings, Tolkien: The correct answer is D. All of the above. -- Tolkien and his wife could no longer bear the crowds gawking at his house and the middle-of-the-night phone calls.

The Top 5 (March 15)

1) "The West is facing an Islamic holy war. Governments and the public alike persist in a state of lethal timidity and denial, but they must start connecting the dots." (Melanie Phillips, Jewish News Service)

From the article -- What was most mind-blowing, she said, was the revelation from 1993 when the FBI wiretapped Hamas members in a Philadelphia hotel room and recorded them talking “about how to make their messaging more palatable to an American audience and how when they’re speaking to people on the left, they’re going to speak in terms of social justice and apartheid.” Which, of course, is precisely what’s been carried out to devastating effect. And these activists aren’t just aiming to destroy Israel and murder Jews. They’re aiming to destroy America.

2) "Trump, Vance Shake Europe Awake From Liberal Dream" (Rod Dreher, The European Conservative)

From the article -- And this is the reality with which Donald Trump and JD Vance brutally smacked Europe. That is, European countries may stand with Ukraine in words, but absent American money, arms, and hard power, what do they have to offer? European armies are small and relatively weak. Since his first term, Trump has been urging European governments to spend more on their own defense. They have been reluctantly doing so, because it’s hard to find the money to spend on weapons when your economies are not doing well, and you have a welfare state to uphold. European social spending has for decades rested on the willingness of the United States to pay for Europe’s defense. 

Eighty years after the end of the Second World War, and nearly forty years after the end of the Cold War, the American president has decided that enough is enough. It is time for Europe to grow up. But Europe faces a much worse problem... 

3)  "America Becoming Less Christian Is A Problem For Everyone. A massive new Pew survey with a misleading headline tells the tale of America’s ongoing de-Christianization." (John Daniel Davidson, Federalist)

From the article -- But one need not get lost in all this survey data to grasp the essential reality that the Pew study reveals: America is losing its Christian religion. Buried in Pew’s analysis is the critical observation that “it is inevitable that older generations will decline in size as their members gradually die. We also know that the younger cohorts succeeding them are much less religious.” That, in turn, means in order for the decline in Christianity to halt, “today’s young adults would have to become more religious as they age, or new generations of adults who are more religious than their parents would have to emerge.” Is that possible? Sure. Is it likely? Not unless something changes.

4) "How We Christians Squandered Our Influence Over Politics Throughout the West, and Why That’s a Disaster for Church and State" (John Zmirak, The Stream)

From the article -- In the past, conservative parties would be expected to march along both tracks, to fend off foreign invasion and cultural subversion. Pro-life, pro-family policies were part and parcel of sane, conservative platforms in Europe, as they were in the U.S. right up through 2020. But first in Europe, and by 2024 in America, these movements began to splinter. Trump’s winning platform this year was heavily diluted, markedly less conservative on social issues than Mitt Romney’s was in 2012. (Not that Romney or the GOP really meant any of it, but they felt constrained to pretend.)

What happened and who’s at fault? Not the secular politicians, who follow public opinion rather than form it. The villain of this piece is in fact the Church and its leaders. (For this piece I’ll focus on my own Roman Catholic Church, but the lessons apply equally to leading Evangelical bodies, especially those thought leaders whom critics such as Megan Basham rightly call “regime Christians.”) Put bluntly, Church leaders eager to present themselves as “winsome” and eke out social acceptance from our elites have deliberately adopted political stances grounded in Utopianism, sentimentality, and misguided “compassion,” then pretended that these positions were “demanded by the Gospel.” This, even though for centuries most Christians and Church leaders believed and taught otherwise, and on many issues Scripture itself demands a sterner, more realistic stance.

5) "Jay Bhattacharya’s Confirmation Hearing Was an Embarrassment for Democrats. Senators who once denounced the NIH nominee’s ideas had nothing to say about pandemic lockdowns, mandates, or lessons learned." (John Tierney, City Journal)

From the article -- Bhattacharya, a Stanford professor of medicine and economics, had been a leading opponent of Covid measures supported by Democrats on the committee, including the Biden administration’s vaccine mandates for federal employees and for workers at private companies. One of the senators, Edward Markey of Massachusetts, had been so worried about the “dangerous” policies in Florida and other states that he advocated a national mask mandate in 2020 and introduced legislation to prod recalcitrant states. Last week, however, Markey and his Democratic colleagues studiously avoided discussing the mandates or any issue related to Covid. Pandemic? What pandemic?

Instead, they used their time to rail at Donald Trump and Elon Musk, leaving it to the committee’s Republicans to address the most consequential public-health edicts ever imposed on Americans. The Republican senators catalogued the costs of the lockdowns, the learning loss from school closures, and the ineffectiveness of the restrictions. They praised Bhattacharya for coauthoring the Great Barrington Declaration opposing lockdowns and school closures, and they thanked him for his court testimony opposing mask mandates for students. They criticized social media platforms’ censorship of his views and the smear campaign egged on by Anthony Fauci and the former NIH director, Francis Collins, who dismissed Bhattacharya and his coauthors as “fringe epidemiologists.”

The Latest Visit with Sherry

On Wednesday and Thursday Claire and I were down in Wichita to see my little sister, Sherry. Her dementia, along with her overall health condition, continues to worsen and communication between us now is quite limited. But she remains my sweet little sister and every moment we can share is precious...as is every memory, every prayer, and every anticipation of the life all Christians will share in God's New Jerusalem one day soon.

Michael Crichton on Falling for Journalist's Ignorance & Lies

“Briefly stated, the Gell-Mann Amnesia effect is as follows. You open the newspaper to an article on some subject you know well. In Murray's case, physics. In mine, show business. You read the article and see the journalist has absolutely no understanding of either the facts or the issues. Often, the article is so wrong it actually presents the story backward --reversing cause and effect. I call these the “wet streets cause rain” stories. Paper’s full of them.

In any case, you read with exasperation or amusement the multiple errors in a story, and then turn the page to national or international affairs and read as if the rest of the newspaper was somehow more accurate about Palestine than the baloney you just read. You turn the page and forget what you know.

That is the Gell-Mann Amnesia effect. I’d point out it does not operate in other arenas of life. In ordinary life, if somebody consistently exaggerates or lies to you, you soon discount everything they say. In court, there is the legal doctrine of falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus, which means untruthful in one part, untruthful in all. But when it comes to the media, we believe against evidence that it is probably worth our time to read other parts of the paper. When, in fact, it almost certainly isn’t. The only possible explanation for our behavior is amnesia.”

The Top 5 (March 8)

* "Too many Democrats: On the real problem in Washington" (James Piereson, The New Criterion)

From the article -- Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency is turning over the rocks in the nation’s capital, every day revealing some ridiculous federal expenditure for DEI programs in Serbia, LGBTQ+ comic books in Guatemala, and climate programs everywhere. These abuses, as many say, are the inevitable by-product of allowing unelected bureaucrats to make regulations and decisions about spending without proper review or oversight. It comes as no surprise to find out that they have been abusing their privileges.

Some of this is no doubt true: bureaucracy is a longstanding challenge in democratic societies. But there is a deeper problem: nearly all of these bureaucrats are Democrats—and Democrats think differently about power and public service than Republicans do. This is the main factor that gives rise to the slanted politics of the capital.

* "Five Ways Trump Can Help Stop Social Media’s Bias Against the Pro-Life Perspective" (Nelly Roach, Life News.com)  

From the article -- Big Tech’s unchecked influence over public discourse has long been a cause for concern, especially for those of us in the pro-life movement. For years, we’ve watched as social media giants and search engines subtly—and, sometimes, blatantly—silenced our message. Pregnancy help centers have had their ads rejected. Pro-life news stories have been buried by algorithms. Google has restricted key-word research for abortion-related terms, making it harder for organizations to reach women in crisis, and platforms such as Facebook and TikTok have suppressed content that challenges the abortion industry’s narratives, creating silos of one-sided information...

The Trump administration has a unique opportunity to push for policies that ensure Big Tech operates fairly—not as gatekeepers of acceptable thought, but as neutral platforms that respect the voices of all Americans. Anything less allows the status quo of suppression and censorship to continue. The Trump administration must act to ensure Big Tech can no longer suppress the pro-life movement. The days of hidden censorship, biased algorithms, and purposely skewed content moderation must end.

* "Britain Is A Failed State: Britain’s blueprint for a Trump-style revolution" (Liz Truss, Courage.Media)

From the article -- The Britain I grew up in is gone. Things are getting worse, and nobody wants to avert course. People are banged up for posts on Facebook, but Keir Starmer refuses to root out complicity and corruption by those in authority over the horrific rape gangs. Postmasters and postmistresses are driven to suicide because a rogue algorithm ruined their reputations, but the government can pay billions to hand over the Chagos Islands to China-aligned Mauritius. Economic stagnation and money-printing galore, but the Treasury and Bank of England manage to remain immune from criticism. Our country approaches South Africa-style blackouts, but Ed Miliband wants to build more windmills. Our prison system is bursting, but the Home Secretary is set to import more criminals. These are the most obvious examples that spring to mind, but, everywhere we look, the British state is failing – from contracting, to infrastructure, to welfare. What on Earth has gone wrong?

* "The 5 Fables Surrounding Trump" (Victor Davis Hanson, Daily Signal)

From the article -- Fable One: Trump is appeasing Russia? Who wiped out the Wagner Group in Syria? Who sold offensive weapons to Ukraine first? Who warned Germany not to become dependent on the Russian Nord Stream 2 deal? Who withdrew from an unfair missile deal with the Russians? Who cajoled and berated NATO members to meet their military investment promises made following the 2014 invasion of Ukraine?

In contrast, who originally conceived a Russian “reset” in 2009? Who publicly virtue-signaled pushing the red “reset” button in Geneva with the current Russian Minister Sergey Lavrov? Which ex-European leader got a million euros a year working for Russian energy companies? Of the last four presidents, under whose watch did Russian President Vladimir Putin not invade another country? Which American president, in hot-mic style, offered to (and did) dismantle U.S.-Eastern Europe missile defense plans in exchange for temporary Putin quietude (“space”) to aid his 2012 reelection?

* "Canada Spent $320 Million to Fuel Anti-Christian Hate But Came Up Empty-Handed" (Ben Zeisloft, Western Journal)

From the article -- Back in the racial reckoning and social justice movement of 2020, the culture and institutions of the United States were thrown into massive upheaval, with accusations of systemic racism, white supremacy, and similar assertions flying every which way. But while American leftists were defunding the police and forking billions over to scams like Black Lives Matter, their associates in Canada mounted an even more aggressive attack.

The Latest Letter-Writing Party (With Targets, Addresses, & Sample Letters)

This morning's Vital Signs letter-writing party found 9 of us gathered around our dining room table and, after our regular 75-minute session, we had written over 50 cards and letters. Good job, guys!

You'll be able to see several of the letter recipients (and issues) as you read a few of the notes I randomly plucked from the pile today. We are hoping they inspire you to write a few yourselves. Indeed, we know of several who do that and Pat has already come by for his target sheet, address sheet, and a few cards. (By the way, that updated address sheet will be on the VSM website by the time the snow starts falling this evening.)

President Trump,

Thank you for what you are doing for our country in regard to our border, cutting spending, religious liberty, working for peace with Ukraine and Russia, supporting Israel, and promoting the sanctity of life. I pray for you to grow in your relationship with God, for your safety, for your success in leading the country. I believe God has protected you for a reason. Look to him! May the Lord bless you and keep you. (HG)

Governor Pillen,

Just another quick word of thanks for your principled, enthusiastic, and effective leadership of the pro-life cause here in Nebraska. Also your defense of religious freedom and gender sanity and economic growth is of tremendous effect as well. And hearing you rise up and thank President Trump at that Governor’s gathering a couple of weeks ago was terrific! Stay the course. (D&CH)

Dear State Senator DeBoer,

I’m writing in support of LB 655 which would protect health care professionals from being forced to perform services that violate their consciences...Forcing anyone to act in a manner inconsistent with strongly held beliefs is demeaning to that person and foreshadows a totalitarian state. Thank you for your consideration and support of LB655. (TK)

Vice-President Vance,

Congratulations on your attaining the high vocation of U.S. Vice-President. I have every confidence that you will do a fine job to help the people of our country, especially with your principles learned from your past experiences. I feel confident that you will continue to place your faith in God. As you do so, much will be accomplished. I especially appreciate your firm pro-life stand, recognizing the sanctity of all human life from womb to tomb. May I now mention a few items of serious concern to me as I ask for your influence and example to impact these things? Defunding Planned Parenthood, NPR, PBS, and USAID; promoting fairness and non-discrimination; preventing voter fraud and government waste, and promoting adoption. God bless you and your work, Mr. Vice-President and I will be praying for you. I believe you are the right man. (JK)

Mr. Jelinek,

Good grief! What is Costco doing in refusing to change their racist DEI policy? It has been proven over and over that DEI policies are unfair, counter-productive, and demeaning to those that they “aim” to serve. As a Costco member (for a little while – let’s see how quickly you come around to following federal policies), I urge you to please turn DEI off ASAP. You do a lot of things right...but not this one! (CH)

HHS Secretary Kennedy,

Congratulations on your confirmation. We look forward to policies that will help ensure better health for our nation’s population. But could I now be so bold as to suggest a couple of specific items? 1) Defund Planned Parenthood. Their primary business is promoting abortion. I object to my tax dollars being used for this despicable purpose. 2) The abortion drug RU-486 should be banned (but at the very least, it should not be able to be “prescribed” over the phone). These drugs are not safe for the women and, of course, they are deadly to a preborn child. Thank you for your consideration. (JM)

Dear Mr. Musk,

Just a quick word of thanks for the powerful and persuasive case you are making that fiscal responsibility by the U.S. government IS possible -- but only IF we get deadly serious about eliminating the waste, the criminal fraud, and the ideologically inspired theft of taxpayer dollars. Please keep cutting! (DH)

Sandy and the Nebraska Right to Life team,

You guys are doing such a noble and critical work -- and you’re doing it with integrity, skill, compassion, and diligence. We are continually impressed and grateful. Keep looking up for God is our strength and our reward. Stay the course. (D&CH)

Dear Defense Secretary Hegseth,

Congratulations on your appointment to this important position in President Donald Trump’s new administration. I have enjoyed watching you and the progress of your work on Newsmax. I am thanking the Lord for your hard work, long hours, and your courage to tackle it all. Proverbs 4:7 -- “The beginning of wisdom is to acquire wisdom and with all your possessions, acquire understanding.” (DP)

Dear Senator,

I’m writing to ask you to support LB 669 to strengthen Nebraska’s informed consent laws to protect women and girls. I would also ask you to support LB 557 and support LB427 -- both bills would expand education options for children and their families. I would add a request that you support L213 which would regulate require human embryology to be taught as part of the state’s basic science curriculum. Finally, I would ask that you support LB 655 to protect medical professionals’ conscience concerns. Thank you for your service. Many regards. (JM)

To the group once proudly and fondly known as the Boy Scouts, 

Poor Sir Baden-Powell would be turning in his grave to know how the Boy Scouts have become so embarrassed by Judeo-Christian moral standards and the noble ideals of principled, chivalric masculinity that they changed their name, changed their very purposes, invited girls into the boy’s clubhouse, and even went so far down as to introduce young, impressionable boys to the influence homosexual “scout leaders.” How terribly, terribly tragic. (DH)

President Trump,

Thank you for your stand on the sanctity of human life and all the other things you are doing for our country. I know you take a beating but you are a strong man to take all that flak from people who hate all that our country stands for. May God bless you. My husband and I pray frequently for your safety and well-being. Continue in life and good works. (CM)

Dear Christianity Today,

I chose this card because it reminded me of the high cliff your publication has already fallen from! Indeed, your compromise with the sadly-misnamed progressive culture has not only cost you your self-respect, your influence, and your eternal rewards. It has also cost you the lion’s share of your readership. Your numbers continue to drop and it’s now discovered that you’re only getting by with government money! From what I read the most recent numbers suggest that about 19% of CT’s income came through U.S. taxpayer money funneled through the now-infamous USAID. Good grief. Like so many on the left, you're only speaking now to your own dwindling group. And yet you continue to pay exorbitant salaries to your execs. Good grief. Be sure that I will be spreading the word. (DH)

Nebraska State Senator Arch,

Thank you for being our senator. There are several bills coming up that I hope you will support. LB 669 -- informed consent and screening for human trafficking. LB 633 -- school choice and education. LB 213 -- teaching human development as part of the science curriculum. LB 709 -- making adoption more affordable. LB 5O4 -- dealing with online platforms in a way that would limit harmful content and provide parental controls. And finally, LB 655 -- protecting healthcare providers from being forced to go against their conscience beliefs. Again, thank you for serving. I would like to hear how you plan to vote on these matters. (HG)

Dear Senator Ricketts,

Congratulations on your reelection. It is heartening to have such a strong supporter of life in the U.S. Senate representing the state of Nebraska. Thank you so much. I would like to ask you to advocate and support all efforts to defund Planned Parenthood and to support all efforts to ban (at the very least limit the damages being caused to preborn babies and their moms) abortifacient drugs like RU-486. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” (JM)

Congressman Bacon,

We have certainly been disappointed in recent weeks with your knee-jerk criticism of President Trump's critical (and decades overdue) efforts to shine a light on and put a stop to the massive waste, criminal fraud, and ideologically-motivated theft of American taxpayer dollars taking place inside the deep state bureaucracy. Instead, Congressman Bacon, we would like to see you being more courageous and diligent in championing key conservative issues instead allowing the unacceptable status quo to continue. (DH)

An Open Letter to Conservatives Abroad

Note -- I sent similar letters today to Prime Ministers Meloni (Italy), Orban (Hungary), Fico (Slovakia), and Milei (Argentina).

---------------

Dear Prime Minister Meloni,

A group of Christian friends gets together every quarter for a letter-writing party. Yes, we have conversation and refreshments together. But it is a party with a serious purpose; namely, to write (as relevant) letters of advocacy, encouragement, principled protest, or gratitude. Our letters and cards probably deal more with sanctity of life issues more than any other; nevertheless, we care about many other things -- religious freedom, family, the protection of conscience and Judeo-Christian values in culture (including free speech), law and justice, and so on.

But in our conversation today we spoke of international leaders who, with great courage and faith, are standing against the tide of statism and irrational progressivism...and are doing so with great skill and winsomeness. And with you being one of those champions of freedom and what used to be known as “common sense,” we wanted to write and thank you. Thank you for your leadership, your personal example, your friendship and cooperation with President Trump, and your diligent work in behalf of your country’s bright future.

May God bless you, your family, your like-minded associates, and the nation of Italy. Before we leave our letter-writing party today, we will include you in our prayers...even as we promise to do so in the future.

Denny & Claire Hartford (Omaha, Nebraska USA)

P.S. We are also making this an “open letter” as an encouragement for others to better appreciate your noble service as well as to add their prayers to ours.