When the Constitutional Convention of 1787 found itself in gridlock, Benjamin Franklin urged his fellow delegates that daily prayers should be made “imploring the assistance of Heaven.” Franklin observed that: We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that “except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.” [Psalm 127:1] […]
A review of the Masterpiece Cakeshop case and the performance of the Republican majority court. I’m not a negative nitpicker determined to find fault, but I am committed to putting things in proper perspective, comparing them to fixed, objective standards and timeless truths. That includes giving an honest assessment of the Masterpiece Cakeshop case recently […]
Though the bombs have already fallen and the U.S. response to the April 7 alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government seems to be behind us, the Syrian civil war is far from over, and so is America’s involvement in that far away and little-understood corner of the world. Unfortunately, most Americans know […]
During the 2016 Presidential election, a number of Christian personalities began making a comparison between the ancient Persian King Cyrus, a heathen king who God used to release the Jews from their Babylonian captivity, and Donald Trump as a potential modern-day deliverer of American Christians. It seems that idea is still in vogue, at least […]
When a shocking tragedy like the recent Parkland, Florida mass school shooting takes place, the media keeps it in the headlines for days. Television inundates our senses with sights and sounds that reinforce the human emotion of the calamity while the drama is relived in front of our eyes day and night. The media milks […]
A few days ago, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit 25,000, setting a new all-time record high for the U.S. stock market. As they are want to do, the experts are speculating and opining as to what it all means. Some think this is good news, some think it’s bad, some believe it can continue, […]
Sex scandals and harassment allegations seem to be all the rage these days. From the accusations made against Roy Moore to the misadventures of news anchor Matt Lauer, Harvey Weinstein before them, and now Senator Al Franken and a host of others, America seems to be awash with salacious allegations against public figures of every […]
It seems to be a popular notion among the conservative right to think that hypocrisy is the exclusive domain of the liberal left. However, in recent years I have become increasingly aware of the presence of hypocrisy infecting the political right and I find it quite disturbing. Hypocrisy is subtle and beguiling. Like the Pharisees […]
In the wake of the U. S. missile strike on the Syrian air base believed to have been used to mount a chemical weapons attack, there is no lack of the usual debate about, “it’s right, it’s wrong; it’s good, it’s bad; we should have, we shouldn’t have.” Most of the discussion revolves around personal […]
A few days ago, I was directed to a YouTube video that prompted me to recall the danger, the unconstitutionality, and the uncivil nature of the practice called “civil asset forfeiture.” The first four minutes of the video featured President Trump and representatives of the National Sheriffs’ Association discussing the topic of asset forfeiture. The […]
I recently discovered a pamphlet in a pile of materials on my desk that was waiting to be sorted. The pamphlet contained the text of a speech given by former Nixon administration official, Constitution Party founder, and champion of the conservative cause, Howard Phillips. The speech, titled, “Under What Authority?,” was given as the keynote […]
When conservative talk radio host, Glenn Beck, announced he would not be voting for Trump, and suggested that, if Hillary wins, we can oppose her agenda in Congress, live to fight another day and work to elect a conservative in 2020, the right reacted in shock and horror, angrily contending, “the nation cannot survive Hillary!” […]