Family Christian Stores Closing

As busy as I am with studies and a sermon this Sunday (Sorry I haven’t been blogging.), I cannot let pass that Family Christian Stores is closing.  And by closing, I mean all of their stores are closing.

I haven’t been in a Family Christian Store for years.  One near by closed some time back.  But I was very familiar with them in the early 2000’s as I promoting my first book.  As both a customer and an author, I saw they had serious problems.  Don’t get me even started on one manager I had to deal with at two stores.  He was lazy and treated authors horribly.

As for their merchandise, at too many FCS stores, most of it was junk.  I would follow the late, great Keith Green and call it Jesus Junk, but so much of it either had little to do with Jesus or was downright heretical.  It was just junk.

Now perhaps they improved their franchise later, but it was too late.  Hastings suffered that fate.  Once boring, they became a great place to visit and shop, but went bankrupt and closed anyway.  I always liked Borders, but they went bust years ago.  Amazon has devoured much of the brick-and-mortar retail business, good stores and bad.

Anyway, Family Christian Stores used to be an important part of evangelical culture for good or for ill.  And now, they will soon be gone.

This Coup Against Democracy Must Be Stopped

I will have to keep this short, and this may be unpolished.  This topic is big, but my time is limited.

But it must be noted that the attempted coup against our democracy that began with protests against the results of a free and fair election, then continued with attacks on the Electoral College, continues still.  While Senate Democrats make it as difficult as never before in modern history for Trump to put his people in place, while fed judges are trying to take over immigration and national security, Obama/Establishment holdovers are criminally leaking and undermining the President we elected.  It is borderline treason against democracy.

And this is an attack on our democracy more than it is against Trump.  DemocRATS and Establishment Republicans would not have us rule ourselves under the Constitution.  They shall rule us whether by democratic means or not . . . or else. . . .

Obviously strongly prefer normal democratic and constitutional politics. But if it comes to it, prefer the deep state to the Trump state.

— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) February 14, 2017

We did not choose correctly in the past election.  So they are undermining that choice by means legal and illegal, political and criminal.

And before you write off my concerns as fever swamp rants, John Podhoretz of all people is alarmed by the brazen attacks on Trump and what they may lead to.

The result might well be violence. Not rhetorical violence. Actual violence. Actual political violence. Actual conflicts between anti-Trumpers and Trumpers. At demonstrations. In the streets. Of our cities. Political violence of a sort we haven’t seen in 50 years, and maybe haven't really seen in this country in the modern era. Those who believe Trump is a unique menace whose threat to our democratic way of life will be met with those who believe the elites are using illicit means to oust the legitimately elected president of the United States.

And Lefty Democrat (though one I respect) Dennis Kucinich is also warning about attacks from the Deep State.

For the sake of our democracy, Trump must “drain the swamp” of backstabbers, traitors and criminals.  And it is becoming clear he must do that fast.  There needs to be mass firings.  If there is anyone in the bureaucracy Trump does not have reason to trust who can be fired, they should be out, now.  Those who cannot be fired due to our absurd civil service laws should be reassigned to windowless rooms without computers.

Further, there should be perp walks.  I want to see at least two or three perp walks a week to put fear into would-be traitors.  Obama’s criminals especially have never had a price to pay and think they never will.  That must stop.  There must finally be a measure of justice.  Lock Them Up!

Whether you agree with my prescription or not, do not put your head in the sand.  It is not just Trump who is under attack.  Our constitutional democracy, our right to rule ourselves, is under attack from within.

So World Relief and an ACNA Bishop Are “Deeply Concerned”

World Relief continues its increasingly liberal political ways by taking out a full-page ad in the Washington Post expressing deep, deep concern about Trump pulling back on the import of those lovely refugees until it can be determined how to better vet them to make sure they really are all that lovely.  Trump is so mean!

Now on its face, the open letter is not that objectionable.  Yes, we should be concerned about genuine refugees.  Certainly, we should pray for God to grant our leaders wisdom.

So I am not going to assume motives behind this letter and those who signed it.  But I will vent a bit on what this open letter smells like.  World Relief and Co are “deeply concerned”?  Well, I’m going to express my deep, deep concern, too.

And what this letter smells like is a passive-aggressive attack on Trump’s attempts to protect us.  That “concerned” line at the beginning is a tip-off.  If a modern evangelical leader ever tells you he is “concerned” about you, watch your back!  I certainly can remember being fed that line while I was being stabbed in the back one unhappy occasion.  I was naïve back then.  Experiences with certain evangelical churchly bureaucrats make me slightly cynical now.  Yes, I admit it.

Oh, but World Relief and company are not just “concerned,” they are “deeply concerned.”  Heck, you better pray that getting stabbed in the back is all that happens.

The whole letter smells like weasel words to indulge in political attack while retaining the pretense that they aren’t getting involved in partisan politics at all.  They are just expressing Christian “concern.”

Where was all this concern when terrorists and rapeugees were invading and attacking Europe and beginning to invade and attack us with the help of Obama?

So excuse me if this cynic is not buying World Relief’s “concern” now.  It smells like the usual enabling of invaders who would make us less safe, not to mention less American – liberal enabling dressed up in polyester leisure suits or whatever evangelical leaders wear now.  (They never did know how to dress.)

Maybe it would be better to stuff all the posturing concern, complete with full page ads in the Washington Post, and stick to being a supposedly Christian relief agency.  What a novel idea!  Surely that is a better use of donations . . . and less likely to drive donors away.  And, yes, I would not be shocked at all if donations to World Relief now decrease.

But I can be dreadfully practical and downright hard-hearted about such things.  It seems to be really compassionate, you have to posture in full page ads.  I admit I lack such compassion.

As for ACNA Bishop Stewart Ruch, who signed this with “Anglican Church in North America” under his name, I will be slightly more gracious and assume the best of motives.  He certainly does have a record of reaching out to refugees and deserves said assumption.  But his signature as a bishop of ACNA is nonetheless a highly questionable use of his position.

Further, it takes us a step closer to open division in ACNA over immigration and refugees, a danger of which I have already warned.

Assaulting freedom of speech is a crime and should be treated as such.

Speaking of the instapundit, Glenn Reynolds has an excellent column up at USA Today.  He addresses attacks on free speech, particularly on college campuses.  And he suggests possible legal remedies.

Do read the whole thing – it’s not long – but I cannot let pass the clever beginning:

They told me if Donald Trump were elected, voices of dissent would be shut down by fascist mobs. And they were right!

Back to the Books

I hope you have been edified or at least amused by my increase in blogging the past month or so.

But I am scheduled to start another course next week and want to get some things done before then.  So I think I need to go back to limited blogging.  Perhaps I will post instapundit style.

By the way, my allergies finally cleared up well this weekend.  Thanks for all prayers.

Obama, Berkeley and Violent Attacks on Free Speech

Events in Berkeley two nights ago and NYU last night beg the question: when will Obama and other Leftist Democrats denounce violent attacks on free speech?

A few days ago, Obama said he was “heartened” by anti-Trump “protests” on immigration.  Let that sink in.  A corrupt Leftist former President, less than two weeks after a freely elected President is sworn in, encourages protests against the new President.

Is this America or a banana republic?

And Obama issued his statement after anti-Trump “protests” had already turned towards violence and attacking the rights of others, including blocking traffic.

Now that Leftist violence is escalating and is cheerleaded by numerous other Leftists, including Florida DemocRAT Congresswomen Val Demings, will Obama use his position for good for a change and step up and denounce violent riots and attacks on free speech?

. . . .

I’m waiting.  But I think I better not hold my breath.

NOTE: Speaking of breath, I am having an especially nasty allergy attack.  I hope it has not affected this post.

New Totalitarians in Action at Berkeley

Some may have thought me overwrought in the past in contending there is a deep totalitarian streak in today’s Leftists.  And maybe you’ve thought I’ve been too worked up when I’ve posted that campus totalitarian attacks on free speech demand that universities that do not defend free speech be stripped of federal funds.

But last night’s events at U. C. Berkeley practically made my arguments for me.  And guess who has gotten the message:

If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view - NO FEDERAL FUNDS?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2017

I lack time and energy at the moment, but is suffices to say the conduct by Leftists last night demands justice.  I find the following especially intolerable:

My friend was giving an interview when some coward peppersprayed her #Berkeley pic.twitter.com/CDpEqDsw2A

— janey (@janeygak) February 2, 2017

If there are not mass expulsions, then government should finally step in and defend free speech on campus.  No free speech?  No fed funds.

By the way, Fox Business is reporting at the moment that there have been no arrests.  None.  Disgusting if that is even close to accurate.

Which leads to an even bigger issue, violent "protest", really attacks and riots, including shutting down highways, must be punished severely.  Leftists must be made to understand that we respect their freedoms, but they damn well better start respecting ours or else.