Persecution

Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them,

and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.

(Hebrews 13:3 NASB)

https://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/

Christians are persecuted in many countries.  Some live in countries where the government or terrorist groups are persecuting them.  Their property is confiscated or destroyed, and they are arrested, tortured, and sometimes killed.  In other countries, they are persecuted by their families, the community, and terrorist groups.  To learn more, you can logon to https://www.persecution.com or type, voice of the martyrs, in the search box of your web browser.

Please pray for them.

On October 27, 2018, 11 people were shot to death in the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Seven other people were injured, including four responding police officers.  The shooter is said to have shouted “Death to all Jews.” while committing mass murder.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_synagogue_shooting

The Tree of Life shootings have been described as hate crimes.  Broadcast news programs have reported that, in the United States, the most frequent victims of hate crimes are Jewish people, their cemeteries, and houses of worship.

It is easy for Americans to think of religious persecution as a foreign problem.  After all, the First Amendment to our constitution guarantees freedom of religion to all who live within our borders.  However, it is not just a foreign problem.

Hollywood, the television industry, and other media continually portray people of faith as bigoted, cruel, hateful, people who want to force others to conform to their beliefs.  Or, religious persons are portrayed as ignorant buffoons who must be shown a better way.

Religious speakers on college campuses are ridiculed and/or shouted down when they try to present their views on subjects like intelligent design (creationism), limiting abortion, or the fallacies of atheism.  Professors actively discourage, and even punish, Christian students when they speak to subjects in class from a religious perspective; or do so in their written work.

The matter is as bad, if not worse, in the public schools.  Prayer groups, t-shirts with religious slogans, and moments of silence have been forbidden in some schools.  The pledge of allegiance has been altered or stopped because it contains the words “under God.”  Students have been subjected to ridicule when they have talked about their family’s values, and teachers have referred to their parents as “bigots” and haters.”   Some public schools have attempted to “normalize” alternative lifestyles through class discussion and reading materials.  Contraceptives have been provided to students without parental notification or consent.

People are discouraged and prevented from praying in, or near, courthouses and other public buildings.  The Ten Commandments, crosses, and other religious symbols have been removed from public places.  An atheist named Michael L. “Mikey” Weinstein has almost singlehandedly destroyed the Chaplaincy in our military, and he is responsible for prohibitions against proselytizing (read witnessing or discussing your faith) between service persons.

Christmas celebrations have been called “winter holiday celebrations,” and such.  Stores have encouraged their employees to wish customers a “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” Christmas carols are no longer sung in some schools.

Christians have been forced out of business for refusing to participate in same sex marriage ceremonies.  People have been fired for making statements in favor of traditional marriage.  A county official was punished for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.  Attempts have been made to force employers to provide health insurance that includes providing for contraceptives and abortions, when it is against their sincerely held religious beliefs to do so.

It is illegal to attempt to dissuade pregnant women from having an abortion, in proximity to an abortion clinic.  In some places, abortions can be obtained by minors without notifying their parents or obtaining parental consent.

What I have said here is by no means inclusive.  I will, however, stop in the interest of time.  In conclusion, I will just say

1.    Religious persecution in America is just as real as it is overseas.

2.    We must pray for those who persecute, as well as the persecuted.

3.    Whether we are believers, atheists, or whatever, we must treat each other with kindness, dignity, and respect.

4.    Those of us who follow Christ are told in the Holy Bible to expect persecution, and we should not be surprised when it comes.  We are living in the prelude to the Great Tribulation (or Time of Jacob’s Trouble), and Jesus predicted trouble in the End Times.

5.    Christians overseas are risking prison, beatings, death, being ostracized from their communities, and the loss of friends, family and possessions to tell others about Jesus Christ.  We here in America can do no less.

The Big Picture on the Caravans

Throughout history, most people have wanted to be left in peace in order that they could do their work, raise their children, worship, and enjoy a little rest from their labor.  Some have prospered, and others have not.

People have learned that it helps to organize socially and politically because their needs can be met more efficiently as a group.  Sometimes, this has worked for the benefit of the people, but often it has been a privileged few who have lived well off the labor of others.

History teaches us that it is necessary to be willing to defend what you have to keep others from taking it.  Poor people, driven by need, have tried to take what belonged to their more prosperous neighbors (the Russian Revolution).  Occasionally, conquest has taken place to advance religious or political belief systems.  However, the lust for wealth and power were part of that mix, as well (the Crusades, Byzantium’s fall to the Sultan Mehmed beginning the Ottoman Empire).  Stronger cultures, or the rich and powerful, have taken the land, freedom and possessions of those who were too weak, or unwilling, to defend what they had (the Axis powers in WWII).  Consequently, History has often been a story of conflict, bloodshed, slavery, rape, and tears.

Since World War II (WWII), the United States has been invaded by migrants who have entered and stayed here illegally.  We can argue about who is to blame, but the fact remains that there are somewhere between 11 million and 20 million persons residing illegally in the United States right now.  They come from all over: Asia, Mexico, Central America, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and South America.  Another inescapable fact, often ignored, is that if they are here illegally they are by definition outlaws who are taking what does not belong to them.

So far, our government has been unable and unwilling to do what is necessary to stop illegal migration.  Over the last 70 years, Americans have become inured to it.  Wrong begins to look like right.

The American love of fundamental fairness makes us reluctant to act in our own best interest. Our diverse, heterogeneous population is composed of people who do not always share the same culture, language, or economic condition.  Our freedoms of speech and press lend themselves to the development of opposing points of view.  We have trouble reaching a consensus about how best to solve our problems.  Our enemies try to exploit our divisions … to their peril.  In the long run, our openness and quarrelsomeness are our strength.

Today’s news reports that as many as five Caravans of foreign persons are organizing or moving toward the United States from Central America and Mexico.  The closest of these may be over 14,000 strong.  The news also reports that these caravans are supported by foreign governments, radical pro-immigration groups, and (of course) George Soros.  In addition to legitimate asylum seekers, there are gang members, drug smugglers, and terrorists.  The latest reports say that many are armed.

Lamp in a Corner has always supported legal immigration.  We support granting asylum to people who are truly in danger from political or religious persecution in their native country.  During WWII, the USA refused to admit European Jews who were fleeing Nazi persecution.  We must not make that mistake again.  We should admit those refugees who we are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt are not terrorists.  All who are admitted must be willing to swear allegiance to the United States and avow that they want to become loyal citizens.

I used to think that a border wall was an unnecessary expense.  Now I see why the wall is necessary. The caravans are an attempt by our enemies to manipulate the unfortunate people who have become the victims of poverty and social unrest in their own countries.  Our enemies want to defeat our attempts to regain control of our borders by overwhelming them.  The caravans demonstrate how badly things have gotten out of control.

Make no mistake, the leading caravan is only the first.  The United States is being invaded, and we must turn back the caravans as humanely as possible.  However, they must be turned back.  The whole world will be watching.  Our critics will be finding fault with anything we do in our own defense.  Our enemies will see it as a test of our resolve to defend ourselves.

I urge congress to meet in an emergency session to close the loopholes in the law so that those entering the country on the pretext of asylum may be turned back without due process.  Due process should be reserved for those who apply for asylum legally.

I urge President Trump to:

1.    Be careful that he does not give his opponents grounds to file charges of impeachment.

2.    With or without the consent of the Mexican government, the President must send combat branch troops to Mexico under the War Powers Act to contain and drive back the caravans before they cross the border.  If force is needed, nonlethal force should be used.  However, our commanders on the ground should have the authority to order our troops return fire if fired upon.

In a week, Americans will be voting in a national election.  I urge you to vote only for those candidates who will defend the country from this kind of invasion.  This is important.  We must show our enemies that they can’t take what is ours.

Standards of Proof

Starting in 1979 and ending in 1989, I worked in rural, mountain counties in Colorado providing social services and supervising others providing them.  Part of my duties involved the providing and supervising investigations and court related actions by the county department of social services (now called human services) on behalf of abused and neglected children.

I also spent 21.5 years managing adult convicted felons; with 16.5 of those years in supervisory positions.  All of that time, part of my duties involved researching offender’s criminal histories, and their involvement with other law enforcement agencies and the courts.

By training and experience, I became familiar with the way the legal system interprets evidence and the burden of proof.  I am not a lawyer, but I hope the following does the subject justice:

1.    Reasonable Suspicion: Enough evidence for an officer to pat search a person.

2.    Probable Cause: The amount of evidence that is needed for an officer to make an arrest or obtain a search warrant.

3.    Preponderance of Evidence: More than half the evidence points to a finding of guilt. Sufficient proof for civil cases like automobile accidents.

4.    Clear and Convincing Evidence:  The level of proof needed to terminate parental rights of some states.

5.    Beyond Reasonable Doubt:  Beyond any doubt based on reason.  The level needed in criminal cases.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=standards+of+proof+chart&id=355A3E659370EBDA0303CFA561327C78FF05E697&FORM=IQFRBA

There are different types of evidence, that are considered in cases of known or suspected criminal acts.  In Old Testament times, the testimony of two or three witnesses was considered conclusive. (They didn’t have the forensic tools that are available today.)  Eye witness accounts are still given weighty consideration, with the proviso that they have sometimes been inaccurate.  On the other hand, the absence of witnesses is not necessarily a reason to believe that something did not happen.  Criminal activity is not a spectator sport.

Biological evidence like DNA is currently being considered seriously in most cases.  Blood on a carpet can place the accused at the scene of a crime.  Semen taken from the body of a victim can establish sexual contact in a rape case.  Flesh from under fingernails, and even the transmission of a communicable disease can be used as evidence, as can hair samples and dander.

Fingerprints have long been used as evidence, as have footprints.  Documents and other forms of written communication (watch out Hillary), tape recordings and telephone records (with certain restrictions), and confessions of guilt can be considered in establishing guilt.  I could go on, but most people have some awareness of this subject.

In the United States, persons have the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.  Investigators work to gather evidence.  District Attorneys determine whether there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges.  Rules, ethics, and sometimes laws prevent attorneys from filing charges if, in their judgment, there is not enough evidence to support a finding of guilt.  They must, at a minimum, be able to present evidence to show that the accused was at the scene of the crime at the time the offence occurred, and that it occurred in the court’s jurisdiction.

It is the responsibility of the prosecution to prove guilt.  It is not the responsibility of the accused to prove innocence.  In the United States the accused has the right to face their accuser(s), and the right to see the evidence against them before a hearing takes place, so that they can prepare a defense.

Sometimes it seems to the honest citizen that those who are accused have too many rights.  We tend to hold that view until we are the one who stands accused.

Americans generally tend to value fair play.  Given the above, I ask you to decide for yourself whether Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh have been treated fairly, or their civil rights as citizens been usurped. 

A senate confirmation hearing is not a court of law.  The rules are not the same.  News reports and commentary are protected by the First Amendment and are not subject to the same legal standards as the criminal justice system.  Ask yourself, however, was there sufficient evidence for Sen. Diane Feinstein to forward to the committee charges of an alleged sexual assault that allegedly took place approximately 35 years ago?  Was there sufficient evidence for a special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate allegations that the Trump Campaign colluded with the Russians to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, or that President Trump knew about it, approved it, or ordered it?

Now, ask yourself if there is sufficient evidence (probable cause) to warrant an investigation into possible legal violations by Hillary Clinton?  If the answer is “yes” then why has nothing has been done?

I for one have been disgusted by the time and money that has been wasted investigating unsupported charges for political reasons.  This while there seems to be ample evidence that Bill and Hillary Clinton have violated the law by obstructing justice, influence pedaling, malfeasance of office, criminal neglect, and manslaughter (in Bengasi).

If you are as tired as I am of the Democrats’ abuse of power, please join me at the polls next month to vote Republican.  Both sides are flawed, but the Republicans are definitely the better of the two.  This is important, folks.  If the Democrats get a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and/or the U.S. Senate, the abuse of power that currently disgusts so many of us will get infinitely worse.  Observable evidence  shows that President Trump’s policies are improving things for all Americans.  His ability to continue to improve things will not continue if the Democrats get control of the house and/or the senate.  The responsibility for stopping the Democrats from ruining the country rests squarely on our shoulders.

Gross

When I was about nine years old, a boy my age lived across the street.  There was a Methodist church about a block and a half away, and our mothers sent us there for Sunday school.  We were baby boomers, and the class was fairly large.  They had folding chairs set up in rows, and the Sunday school teacher taught us from in front of the class.  So, naturally we sat in the back.

As we were sitting in class one day, we both started smelling something bad.  It kept getting worse.  He nudged me with his elbow and asked me if I had “pooped.”  I said “no” and asked him if he did.  He denied it, too.  Then we started razzing each other and laughing like boys do.  “It was you.”  “I didn’t do it, it was you.”

The girl sitting in front of me turned around and gave us a knowing look like, “I know what you did.”

Then I looked down at my shoe.  There was a big wad of dog poop stuck to it.  There was so much that it wrapped around the sole.  I couldn’t decide what to do?  I couldn’t ask the teacher to the leave class to clean off my shoe.  The other kids would never let me live it down.  If I asked to go to the bathroom, everyone would think I was the one who made the stink; with the same result.

Stealthily, I extended my foot and wiped my shoe off on the metal bar that connected the legs on the back of the girl’s chair.  My friend whispered “Gross.”  We choked off the laughter; elbowing and whispering until the class finally got over.  We didn’t get caught.

It is a true story.

During the last couple of weeks, senators behaved with about as much dignity and maturity as my friend and I did that day in Sunday school.  In a sickening display of dirty politics, they tried to destroy the professional and personal life of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.  It was a craven display of lust for power.  Bless him, my friend died of cancer in high school.  However, his description of the dog poop on the girl’s chair still applies quite well to the senator’s actions.  “Gross.”

There are some things to be thankful for:

1.    The hearings are over.

2.    Justice Kavanaugh was confirmed.

3.    Legislation from the bench by liberal judges will be curbed, and the constitution will be preserved and protected.

4.    The Republicans in Washington, D.C. seem united, at least temporarily, and they seem to be moving toward cooperation with President Trump.

5.    California only gets two senators.

6.    Senator Schumer’s glasses didn’t fall off the end of his nose as he sanctimoniously shook his head.

7.    And, most importantly, God answers prayer.

Recommended Viewing

It is a rare occasion when I recommend something.  Sometimes, friends and relatives have acted on a recommendation, and they have been disappointed.  So, I am very careful about what I endorse.

That said, I would like to recommend that you see:

“Body and Soul – The State of the Jewish Nation”

Directed by Gloria Z. Greenfield
Produced by George Violin
Associate Producers include Adam and Gila Milstein and the Zionist Organization of America
Numerous distinguished commentators

The program can be streamed through Amazon Prime, or you can order the DVD through Amazon.  It is not expensive to order the DVD.  By listing the Associate Producers, I am fully disclosing that this is a pro-Israel documentary.

If you have an open mind, and if you want to hear both sides of the story, you will find in this work the Jewish case for the existence of Israel as a nation-state with Jerusalem as its capitol.  It is clear, concise, correct, and complete.

BC and AD, etc.

I like to watch documentaries on television.  I tend to watch a lot of historical documentaries or programs about current events that use a chronological development.

Traditionally, dates from the Gregorian calendar have used the advent of Christ as a reference point.  Events that happened before Jesus’ birth were labeled BC (Before Christ); those after His birth AD (anno Domini, often translated as “in the year of our Lord”).

Recently, I have noticed that some programs, particularly those produced for PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), or on behalf of other faiths are using BCE (Before Common, or Current, Era); or CE (Common Era) in place of BC and AD.  The dates are otherwise the same.  I learned that this has been so, since the 1990’s or even earlier.

I guess that goes to show that I have gotten a little out of touch.  I keep busy, and I miss things while dealing with the challenges of daily living.  I was about to write a diatribe against political correctness, but I have reconsidered after researching the matter. “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” (Abraham Lincoln)

Apparently, using dates that do not refer to a particular religion is more comfortable or “inclusive” in the view of some.  That is understandable in the case of work that represents the point of view of a different religious tradition.  I am concerned that the educational system may begin to correct Christians when they use BC and AD in their work.  That would be an infringement of their First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and religious expression.

“Lamp in a Corner” is a Christian blog.  I will, therefore, continue to use BC and AD when referring to dates.

Open Letter to (former) President Barak Obama

Greeting:

Since President Donald Trump took office, you have given speeches, here and abroad, in which you have taken issue with his policies, actions, and the man himself.  Relying on the short memories of the uninformed, you have extolled the virtues of your years in office and your many so-called accomplishments; even claiming credit for the economic resurgence that happened after you left office; ending the strangulation of the goose that lays golden eggs (private enterprise).

You are a liar, and you always have been.  You had your chance, and you blew it.  Your presidency rivals that of Jimmy Carter as the worst in living memory.  Go home.  Write your memoirs.  Play golf all the time like you did when you were in the White House.  Just get out of the way and let a man who knows what is good for the country do his work.