All posts tagged: Politics

Analyzing the Election Results in California and Canada, and the Attitude of Faith vs Fear

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by Dr. Michael L. Brown Americans are not happy. We do not like all the COVID restrictions. We resent the latest lockdowns. We plan to resist the mandate. We are beyond the breaking point. At least that’s the impression I get as I read reports on conservative websites and interact with friends and colleagues. But exit poll results from California tell a very different story, with confirmation from Canada as well. I’m talking about the rejection of the efforts to recall Gov. Newsom in California and the reelection of Prime Minister Trudeau in Canada, where the COVID restrictions have been much more comprehensive and oppressive. Yet in both cases, it appears that a majority of voters affirmed the way COVID was being handled in their state and nation, respectively. According to ABC News, “Just about 3 in 10 said Newsom’s pandemic control measures are too strict, countering a key argument in the recall drive against him. A broad 70% supported the state’s student mask mandate and 63% sided with the governor in seeing vaccination as …

They were paid to read it, but how many did?

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The $1 trillion infrastructure bill that the Senate approved on Aug 10, 2021 was 2,701 pages long. As a point of reference, most Bibles are roughly a 1,000 pages. And before it passed in a 69-to-30 vote, Fox New’s Larry Kudlow was wondering how many senators would fully read the legislation before voting. And, if legislation written by Tom Moore, Jr in 1971 is any indication, probably none of the senators did. Moore served as a Democrat member of the Texas House of Representatives between 1967 and 1973. One of his chronic complaints is that members of the House were not reading the legislation that they were approving. And to prove his point, Moore introduced legislation on April 1, 1971 commending Albert de Salvo. Nobody even picked up on the fact it was introduced on April’s Fool’s Day. The bill was passed unanimously by the House. Like all the members of the Texas House of Representative, you are probably not familiar with the name Albert de Salvo, but you are undoubtedly familiar with the name …

The Politicizing of COVID Has Become a Deadly Game

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By Dr. Michael L. Brown I just lost another friend to COVID, this time, a 69-year-old father and grandfather, an elder in my home congregation, as faithful a Christian man as you will find. He joins the list of other friends and colleagues in the States who have died in the last year from COVID-related complications, along with an even longer list of loved ones and colleagues of some of my very close friends in India. At the same time, the extreme politicizing of COVID makes it difficult (if not almost impossible) to know who to trust when it comes to preventing the spread of the disease. This is a terrible shame. Personally, as much as I dislike wearing a mask, especially on long flights, I would wear one the rest of my life in public if I knew by doing so I was saving other people’s lives. With joy. When it comes to being vaccinated, if I was sure the vaccine had no long-term side-effects or dangers, I would get vaccinated every month if …

Christians tear down police barricade around church, Canada

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In images, you would only expect to see in Communist China, Christians in the Canadian province of Alberta tried tearing down barricades that the police had put up around GraceLife church in Spruce Grove, AB to prevent people from attending this week’s Sunday service (April 11, 2021). The church, that also had its pastor jailed for 35 days, has been holding services in defiance of the province’s lockdown that limits services to just 15% of capacity. The RCMP, who were just obeying orders, responded by sending in dozens of police to rebuild the barricade. The Blaze explains: Hundreds of Canadian Christians gathered on Sunday at the GraceLife Church in Edmonton, Alberta. Government officials shut down the church for allegedly violating public COVID-19 health orders. Authorities erected a chain-link fence to prevent the house of worship from reopening last week. On Sunday, worshippers tore down the barricade, but were quickly met by a large contingent of riot police. Alberta Health Services physically closed the GraceLife Church, preventing access to the building. AHS said the church would …

The Difference Between the Political Spirit and the Christian Spirit

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By Dr. Michael L. Brown Writing for The Atlantic on March 10, Shadi Hamid opined that in America today, “As Christianity’s hold, in particular, has weakened, ideological intensity and fragmentation have risen. American faith, it turns out, is as fervent as ever; it’s just that what was once religious belief has now been channeled into political belief” (his emphasis). While this is certainly true, it is also true that religious belief has been merged with political belief. Yet, in many ways, the Christian spirit is very different than the political spirit. The two often make a very bad mix. But before I explain what I mean, allow me to add the standard caveats. I do believe that followers of Jesus should vote and be politically informed. I do believe we should have a positive impact, as salt and light, on every aspect of American life, including politics. I do believe there are godly and ethical politicians. I do believe that some Christians are called to be heavily involved in politics or even run for office. I do believe that …

The Mad Hatter’s Invitation

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The Mad Hatter’s tea party is in full swing and we’re all invited. Like it or not the craziness of the American elections and that country’s fall into violent insanity affects us all. That the election was not clean is beyond dispute. Neither is the influence of anti-Conservative violence and the biasness of the media and social media giants.  If you don’t believe me about the media just remember that the more adjectives one uses, the less objective they are. Then listen to CBC or CNN and how they cover different political viewpoints. Since Donald Trump became president four years ago the left followed the urging of Hillary Clinton and took the streets. The protests were fed into a frenzy by the Democratic leadership and eventually the anti-Trump movement became thug led riots. Often people wearing Trump’s, Make America Great Again hats were assaulted and threatened. Anyone who voiced support for Trump put themselves and their families at risk of physical harm, job loss, and public shaming. This is not democracy. This is mob rule. …

Our Most Extreme Choice

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What a weird world. The economists are talking about a K recovery from the never-ending Covid economy READ: Worries grow over a K-shaped economic recovery that favors the wealthy. This means that those who are already well off or at least doing okay will do more okay. This is the upper arm of the K. Those who have lost jobs already, no matter how well paying the job was, are represented in the lower arm of the K. In North America this means that the gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider. Because we are an economically driven culture, this means the gap gets wider in areas of understanding and connections as well. The rich already don’t understand the plight of the poor and the poor distrust and at times resent the rich. This is not going to help. Politically, we are moving more and more to the extremes. Left wing anger is destroying conservative lives and values. Right wing thinkers have dug their heels pointing at the violence and immorality of …

Why are Western countries giving foreign aid to the communist dictators in China?

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The Daily Mail is reporting that an American government agency, the US National Institutes of Health, has been providing financial assistance to Wuhan Institute of Virology that many believe was the source of Coronavirus epidemic. Americans are outraged that this agency gave the lab $3.7 million that was experimenting on bats believed to be the source of the virus. READ: REVEALED: U.S. government gave $3.7million grant to Wuhan lab at center of coronavirus leak scrutiny  But the US is not alone, last year Canada’s Trudeau government gave China $41 million in foreign aid. Canada has given hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies to the communist dictatorship since 2001. The subsidies were stopped by the previous Conservative government, but revived by Trudeau. READ: Canada’s foreign aid

Honouring the best of the worst of government waste

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Each year, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation honours the worst examples of government spending at the three levels of government, federal, provincial, & municipal. My favourite this year was the Provincial award given to the Yukon, in Canada’s far north, who spent $139,000 planting gold in a creek and flying in social media to witness the event. “The “Gold Rush II” initiative was originally intended to be funded by private money, but a crowdfunding effort to raise $100,000 only ended up raising $4,500, which was used to buy 3.5 ounces of gold to put in a creek. The Yukon government then stepped in with taxpayer money to cover the rest of the plan to pay for three social media influencers and one reporter to document the sparsely-attended event.” Read more

Capitalism sinks Socialism

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Bankrupt Socialist Venezuela orders warship to capture German cruise ship that was outside the country’s territorial waters. READ: Warship fires at cruise ship, then warship rams the cruise ship, then Venezuelan warship sinks. Personally, I think the country is going broke and the government wanted to hold the cruise ship for ransom.

Credit: Thiago Santos/Flickr/Creative Commons

God wants to move on governments, but it’s a battle

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Last summer, CBN reported on a Bible study taking place on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC specifically for the US government’s cabinet ministers. It Is being led by Ralph Drollinger who heads Capitol Ministries, a group that ministers to politicians. It not only has a Bible study for Cabinet Secretaries but also for members of the US Senate and House of Representative. The group also has studies taking place in nearly 40 state capitols, and even 60 capitols internationally. Bible studies are also taking place on a municipal level in hundreds of cities. According to Drollinger, the goal of these studies is to give political leaders a Biblical world view. Drollinger, 63, has an interesting resume. Standing 7’ 2”, he was a star center for UCLA and was actually drafted three times by the NBA. Instead of playing professional basketball, Drollinger decided to play for Athletes in Action, a Christian organization, that has traveling basketball teams that play exhibition games and share their faith at half time. But Drollinger eventually did turn pro. In 1980 …

Donald Trump Photo: Michael Hogan/Flickr/Creative Commons

Trump, Harper, Bush, Jesus

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A man stood outside a meeting room and heard the speaker say “47” followed by loud laughter from the audience. This laughter was repeated, with different numbers. The man asked what was happening, and he was told “This is a joke club. We know all the jokes, and each reference number prompts us to laugh at one of our jokes.” The man stepped into the room and shouted “four hundred and seventy-eight.” The room went silent, and then someone giggled. The giggling changed to loud laughter from everyone, and soon people were crying and falling out of their chairs, from laughter. The man was confused, and someone said, “You just told a joke we’ve never heard before.” Evoking means we wave the flag, shout out the number, and trust that the audience knows the back story. It’s a form of cheerleading. Rick Mercer is a famous commentator in Canada, and he has the fluency, articulation, and gift of the gab of a true Newfoundlander. Even when I disagree with him, I admire his skill. But …

Survey reveals growing concern about religion’s declining influence in America

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A recent survey by Pew Research Center shows that most Americans believe religion is losing its influence on the public stage including politics and that they are concerned because of this. Pew has asked this question since 2001. That year, 51% of Americans believed religious influence was on the decline. In 2014, this number had jumped by nearly 25%. Today, 72% of Americans believe religious influence on public life is on the decline. However, while they watch this decline of religious influence, a very different culture is forming and most Americans don’t like what they are seeing. Increasingly, Americans are of the opinion the church should play a bigger role in politics and social issues. Pew said in its release, there is a “growing appetite for religion in politics.”