• The House Passes a Stop-gap Budget Bill on the Evening of the Last Day
• Rebels Take Syria as Fifty-Three Year Assad Family Reign Ends
• Texas State Board of Education Approves Bible Curriculum for K- 5
• Matt Gaetz Withdraws Nomination
• Mass Deportations Using the Military Confirmed by President-Elect Trump
• Trump Pick for Attorney General Will Be Challenged by Both Parties
• Trump Declared Winner of the 2024 Election
The House Passes a Stop-gap Budget Bill on the Evening of the Last Day
Washington, D.C., Dec. 20, 2024 Go to top
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![]() The House of Representatives passed a last ditch budget bill and sent it to the senate this evening which should pass in the senate without problems. The newest House proposal is a 118-page bill that contains most of the provisions that were put in place in the bipartisan bill that was agreed to on Wednesday. The bill includes $100 billion for disaster aid, $30 billion for farmers and a one-year extension of the farm bill, provisions that were under heavy debate prior to this week's votes. It does not include the increase in the debt ceiling that President-elect Trump wanted.
This is similar to the original bill that the House rejected after multiple tweets by Elon Musk and later President-elect Trump threatening Republican representatives to be primaried if they voted for it. They caved, although it had bipartisan support previously, and tanked the original proposal. The Republicans tried to pass a bill with many Democratic provisions gutted and adding purported five trillion dollars to the debt. Fiscal conservative Republicans voted against this bill, along with Democrats. Finally, Speaker Johnson managed to put together a temporary fix until March, with provisions similar to the original bill, which passed with bipartisan support. The senate has already approved pediatric cancer research that was stripped out of the current stopgap measure. Senators were also expected to advance both the government funding bill and the Social Security Fairness Act this evening.
Commentary
It is a serious problem when some members of congress are cowed by billionaire tweets, especially when one of those billionaires, the richest man in the world, currently holds no elective or even administrative office at this time. When the rich can unfairly influence our country's elections, that is bad enough. When they use that influence to hurt those less fortunate (farmers in need, disaster victims, children with cancer, etc.), it is indeed evil. Here is what the Bible says about it in Proverbs 14:31, "Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him." The rich, Elon Musk and President-elect Trump, are billionaires who look out for nobody's interest but their own. They have both stated that they would rather the government shut down than for congress to fail to give them their way. Imagine soldiers and police and other emergency personnel who are still required to work without pay. Now imagine the two million government employees who will not get a check during the Christmas season. Trump nor Musk care about those people, it doesn't affect them. My question is this. We know that Trump had this attitude before in his previous term, but with guardrails of good people who talked him down when he tried to do the worst (although he did leave us 7 trillion dollars more in debt). Now, he is trying to load the executive department with loyalists who are not only not qualified for many of the positions, but who will do his will without any pushback. How could good Christians have voted for such a man. Remember, whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker. But then, Trump has never really been a religious man to begin with and does not fear God's reprisal. Do you honor God? Did you honor God with your vote? Because, I am telling you, a majority of Evangelical Christians did not when they voted for this irreligious, immoral individual.
God Bless!
Larry McDowell for Bible College Radio and Christian Press
Rebels Take Syria as Fifty-Three Year Assad Family Reign Ends
Damascus, Syria., Dec. 8, 2024 Go to top
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![]() Early this morning rebels took over Damascus and had the government turned over to them peacefully with Assad apparently nowhere to be found. It was reported that Assad's family had fled earlier to Russia and Russian state media reported that Assad himself landed in Moscow after having fled. This is a historic moment as the collapse of more than 53 years of al-Assad family rule has finally ended. (See Historical Background below.) The rule was marked by so much violence and hard rule, with any dissent being quashed to point of literally killing thousands of their own countryman, including the use of chemical weapons. This harsh rule began a civil warin 2011 that continued to this day as the people attempted to overthrow Assad. Only the help of Russian air forces, Iran and Hezbollah allowed him to continue his rule to date. However, with Russia's interest heavily vested in Ukraine and Hezbollah leadership destroyed and military forces seriously weakened by Israel recently in Lebanon, Syrian rebel forces were able to take the country.
Al-Jalali, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has taken a more moderate stance in the 10 days leading up to the capture of Damascus. Although he once had ties with Al-Qaeda and spent five years in American prisons in Iraq after fighting the Americans there, he has since denounce Al-Qaeda and taken a more Syrian nationalist approach to his rebel activities. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations, a designation Al-Jalali has been trying to get removed. During the recent ten days, he ordered his forces not to attack minority religions, such as Christians, and had them go around and tell Christians in occupied areas that they may celebrate Christmas. He also told forces to stay out of government offices until they were voluntarily relinquished to them. Perhaps this more moderate approach and his handling of Syria from this point forward will allow Al-Jilali to achieve his goal of normalcy.
President Joe Biden called it a "moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria" in his remarks at the White House today, according to NBC News. Celebrations broke out in Damascus after the fall of Assad.
Historical Background
Syria has always been viewed as an important geographical location subjecting it to conflicts throughout its history. Syria was a province of Rome in the first century AD and is mentioned ten times in the New Testament, as well as 108 times in the Old Testament (ESV). Syria and Cilicia together was a mission area for the early Christian church. Syria was a country in which the Greek language came together with the Syriac language, the latter being closely related to the Aramaic dialect used by Jesus and the Apostles. The Phoenicians of biblical times lived on the coast of ancient Syria and were the most skilled seamen of that era. Control of Syria passed to the Byzantines after the split of the Roman Empire. It was conquered by the Arab Rashidon army by AD 640 and fought over by various Muslim leaders and even a tribute nation of Mongols during the middle ages. Sections were held by French, English, Italian and German overlords during the Crusades. The Ottoman Empire controlled the region from the sixteenth century. After the Ottoman Empire chose the wrong side in World War I and was defeated, they lost control of the entire region. France and Great Britain had already begun parsing up the Middle East two years before the war ended, with France eventually taking control of Syria after many conflicts against local rulers. After the end of World War II, the Syrian Republic was founded in 1946, ending in constant upheaval. Beginning in 1949, there were a series of military coups. After the Suez Crisis of 1956, Syria signed a pact with the Soviet Union, which continued to influence the nation under Russia even as the bloc was broken up. Hafiz al-Assad controlled the military and eventually became the cult leader of the ruling Ba'athist party and turned the country into a totalitarian dictatorship, eventually succeeded by his son, Bashar al-Assad who took over the country in 2000 in an unopposed election. Syria's attack of the nation of Israel weakened it and eventually caused the loss of the Golan Heights in the south as a result of the Six-Day war in 1967. There was rioting in the years after Assad took over and Assad clamped down on any dissent. During the Spring 2011 attempt to overthrow his government, there were many reprisals. Assad is purported to have killed thousands of his own people, to include using chemical weapons. His support by Russian air forces, Iran and Hezbollah allowed him to continue in control, albeit with constant civil conflict throughout the country, until now. With Russia drawn to Ukraine and the defeat recently of Hezbollah leadership and forces in Lebanon, rebel forces where able to make a 10-day sweep to take Damascus and overthrow the Assad and end his tyrannical rule.
Commentary
I would like to begin with this from Ephesians 6:12:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (ESV)
For 53 years the al-Assad family ruled over Syria with an iron fist, including subjugation to the evil sphere of the Soviet Union and Putin's Russia to keep that power. When rulers make deals with the devil to stay in power, to the detriment of their own people, there eventually comes a price to pay. While Assad did not suffer the humiliation and execution of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and escaped to Russia, he finally lost the power he had committed so many sins to keep. While I am reluctant to say at this point that the new ruler(s) of Syria will be better, there are positive signs this will be so. The Syrian people did what was instructed in James 4:7, "Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (ESV)
God Bless!
Larry McDowell for Bible College Radio and Christian Press
Texas State Board of Education Approves Bible Curriculum for K- 5
Austin, TX., Nov. 23, 2024 Go to top
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![]() CNN reports that public schools in Texas now have the option to teach a Christian biblical view as part of their K-5th grade curriculum. It is a part of the state developed curriculum called Bluebonnet Learning. School districts in Texas are autonomous in choosing their curriculum, however, the state offered $60 per student to accept this curriculum will be hard for most to turn down.
Critics of the curriculum argue that it heavily favors Christianity over other faiths. Some suggest that it violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of a religion." On Saturday, Rachael Laser, CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State told CNN that, "Parents and families, not politicians or government officials, shoul get to decide if, when and how their children engage with religion."
An opponent to the Bluebonnet curriculum, Sharyn Vane, emphasized that it was the job of parents to teach their children about religion - not public schools. She told CNN, "As a Jewish parent, of course, we taught our child our faith at home, and I think no matter your faith, the parents are the ones who need to be teaching those lessons."
For similar reasons, seven of the 15-member board voted against the measure, narrowly passing by one vote. The tally was four Democrats and three Republicans who opposed this measure, including Pam Little, the Republican vice chair of the board., whose additional argument was that materials are too rigorous for young students.
Texas is among several Republican-led states that have passed legislation that incorporates Christianity in public schools. A federal judge this month temporarily blocked a Louisiana law that would have required the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom by the new year. It is likely that other states will be similarly challenged on religious overstep in public schools when they favor one religion over another.
Commentary
I stated this previously and I will state it again: we are not a theocracy. The framers of the United States Constitution Bill of Rights realized that they needed to curtail some of the governmental abuses they had experienced in Great Britain and elsewhere in Europe and set out to right those grievances. When you permit one religion to dominate public schools over another, you risk the tide turning in decades or even centuries later. Globally, Christians make up only 31.5% of the people of all religions. We are globally in a minority. Could you imagine having the strict tenants of the Koran being enforced on American education as it is in numerous Middle East countries. We are not Muslims.
In fairness, as much as we as Christians would love to have young people exposed to the teachings of Jesus at a early age, it is not our government's responsibility to do so. It is our responsibility of us as Christian parents, much like the Jewish parent above stated. I can tell you from my own studies, we are falling down on the job considerably. According to one study, only 17 percent of Christians have any type of religious activity at home in the week that separates services in the church, to include bible study, prayer, and yes, teaching the little ones. As a result of this, our own children are not even being taught by their own parents a home. I suggest we clean up at home first, before we start trying to force our religious beliefs down the throats of other American children.
I was a Gideon, on and off in three camps Alabama. We distributed our little testaments to children in the fifth grade. Fortunately, the school districts allowed us to do this for the most part, though some in Alabama had begun stopping the practice. I found this practice acceptable, because, we were not their teacher and therefore were not forcing our religion on these children. We merely offered the testaments, then it was up to them, and later their parents, what to do with them.
When I was in the fifth grade, I remember clearly a bad feeling I had when I looked up from the daily morning prayer, allowed in 1960 in Alabama, and saw the look of discomfort on a Jewish girl's face as it ended, "In Jesus Name, Amen". Even at so young ad age and for a very religious boy who attended both services each Sunday at Centercrest Baptist Church, I still felt the wrongness of that and was ashamed. I stated this earlier as well, "Give unto Caesar..." You know the rest. When you threaten to put your own religion over another, be prepared down the line to have your own religious freedom challenged. If we just simply did our jobs as parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, in educating our youth about Jesus, we would make a huge impact on church attendance. We should not try to force the government to do our job, as parents and churches.
God Bless!
Larry McDowell for Bible College Radio and Christian Press
Matt Gaetz Withdraws Nomination
Washington, DC. Nov. 21, 2024 Go to top
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![]() ABC News announced today that former Rep. Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name for consideration for Attorney General in President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming administration. "I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday," Gaetz wrote in a post on X. "I appreciate their thoughtful feedback - and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition. There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump's DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1." Gaetz's nomination was a surprise to many lawmakers, with, even high level Republicans, suggesting that his nomination was not going to be easy. Gaetz resigned from Congress in an effort to stop the ethics investigation that alleged sex trafficking and drug use.
Commentary
It is unsure the motive of Donald Trump as to why he would nominate such a controversial figure to our nation's top law enforcement post. However, it is reassuring that even some Republicans will draw the line to inexperience and immorality when advising and consenting on cabinet level posts to lead our nation's government, even if they still refuse to refute the very leader of this government on the similar grounds - they have done the right thing here. Character counts, and the character of that nomination was certainly in question. There are still others being nominated whose character, loyalty to the nation, other than Trump, and morality are under question. Let us hope that Republicans continue to scrutinize other unworthy picks.
God Bless!
Larry McDowell for Bible College Radio and Christian Press
Mass Deportations Using the Military Confirmed by President-Elect Trump
Washington, DC. Nov. 18, 2024- Go to top
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![]() According to ABC News, President-elect Donald Trump confirmed he would declare a national emergency in order to implement his campaign promise of mass deportations of illegal immigrants. Trump replied on social media that such reports of using military assets was indeed "TRUE!!!".
In his original campaign pledge at a rally at Madison Square Garden he stated, "On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history to get the criminals out. I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered, and we will put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail, then kick them the hell out of our country as fast as possible."
Commentary
Leviticus 19:33-34 states, "'When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.'" ESV
You did not have to become a Jew to be a foreigner in Israel. To become a Jew, all you originally needed was a belief in the one true God and circumcision. To become a Christian, the requirement was less physical and was simply, but most importantly, repent and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. To become American, it was once much simpler as a portion of Emma Lazarus' poem on the Statue of Liberty monument states:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
In the most egregious use of the U.S. military domestically since the attack on the veterans of World War I on the capitol mall by Herbert Hoover, the republican president-elect intends to use the military for his own political purposes. Republicans are supposedly for States-rights, however they have failed miserably under the Trump administration who would impose his MAGA will on as many states with which he can. Governor Walz, the 2024 Vice Presidential candidate for the Democrats, stated his states-rights position on immigration in 2018 in a CBS interview, "My position on Minnesota becoming a sanctuary state boils down to who has the responsibility for enforcing immigration law." While Trump supports the states as having a right to determine their own rules on abortion, he refuses to give them the authority over immigration within their own border, except to demand they send all undocumented aliens packing. Now he wants to use the military. As a military man of 20 years, I find that offensive and quiet bordering on an unlawful order, forbidden under the post-Vietnam Code of Conduct. I hope the generals remind their commander-in-chief of that code and that such a use of the military domestically is the unlawful act that it is and they are not bound to follow such an order.
MAGA does not mean Make America Great Again. It is a dog whistle for Make America White Again. That explains the support from the KKK, Nazi groups, Proud Boys, etc., of whom Trump said there were good people and patriots. Donald does not have a problem with European immigration and sponsored his wives to come to America, he just hates all those others out there. Do you hate immigrants? As a Christian, have you followed God's commandment and loved our immigrants ... all of our immigrants - legal or not? The Bible made no such legal distinction. Trump's own mother was a Scottish immigrant, as was his first wife Ivana from Czechoslovakia and his current wife, our former and soon First Lady, Melania from Slovenia. Remember the days when former Eastern Europeans, even naturalized citizens, were suspicious and could not hold certain security clearances. Love your immigrants. The Donald does, if they are white and from Europe.
Yes, let's make America great again. You know what they mean. Let's go back to the days of my Daddy, where he said there was a sign outside the city limits of Cullman, Alabama stating something like, "Nigger, don't let the sun set on you in Cullman". When I received a note scrawled in bad penmanship by mail as editor of the Independent Press stating, "Nigger, take this penny and save on welfare. Go back to pickin white mans cotton. KKK" [there was a penny enclosed]. Being white myself, I found the letter both amusing, yet frightening in the mid-seventies. As a boy in the mid-fifties in Birmingham, Alabama, I remember the days of Jim Crow when my mother admonished me not to drink out of the water fountain labeled "Colored" (she spelled it out for me as an English lesson), because it was nasty. There was also the time I went to the back of the city bus to go to school and the bus driver hollered, "You better get back up here boy before I tan your hide." The people around me were encouraging me to obey him, as they feared they would be in trouble having a white boy in the colored section. Yeah, those were the good ole days - just ask a large segment of Trump voters pining for their return.
For those Republicans who now revere Ronald Reagan more than their founding President Abraham Lincoln (and certainly have forgotten his notion of equality for all in America), I leave you with his final words in his farewell address:
January 19, 1989: "Now, tomorrow is a special day for me. I'm going to receive my gold watch. And since this is the last speech that I will give as President, I think it's fitting to leave one final thought, an observation about a country which I love. It was stated best in a letter I received not long ago. A man wrote me and said: 'You can go to live in France, but you cannot become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey or Japan, but you cannot become a German, a Turk, or a Japanese. But anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American.'
"Yes, the torch of Lady Liberty symbolizes our freedom and represents our heritage, the compact with our parents, our grandparents, and our ancestors. It is that lady who gives us our great and special place in the world. For it's the great life force of each generation of new Americans that guarantees that America's triumph shall continue unsurpassed into the next century and beyond. Other countries may seek to compete with us; but in one vital area, as a beacon of freedom and opportunity that draws the people of the world, no country on Earth comes close.
"This, I believe, is one of the most important sources of America's greatness. We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people - our strength - from every country and every corner of the world. And by doing so we continuously renew and enrich our nation. While other countries cling to the stale past, here in America we breathe life into dreams. We create the future, and the world follows us into tomorrow. Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we're a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a nation. If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost.
A number of years ago, an American student traveling in Europe took an East German ship across the Baltic Sea. One of the ship's crewmembers from East Germany, a man in his sixties, struck up a conversation with the American student. After a while the student asked the man how he had learned such good English. And the man explained that he had once lived in America. He said that for over a year he had worked as a farmer in Oklahoma and California, that he had planted tomatoes and picked ripe melons. It was, the man said, the happiest time of his life. Well, the student, who had seen the awful conditions behind the Iron Curtain, blurted out the question, "Well, why did you ever leave?" "I had to," he said, "the war ended." The man had been in America as a German prisoner of war.
"Now, I don't tell this story to make the case for former POW's. Instead, I tell this story just to remind you of the magical, intoxicating power of America. We may sometimes forget it, but others do not. Even a man from a country at war with the United States, while held here as a prisoner, could fall in love with us. Those who become American citizens love this country even more. And that's why the Statue of Liberty lifts her lamp to welcome them to the golden door.
"It is bold men and women, yearning for freedom and opportunity, who leave their homelands and come to a new country to start their lives over. They believe in the American dream. And over and over, they make it come true for themselves, for their children, and for others. They give more than they receive. They labor and succeed. And often they are entrepreneurs. But their greatest contribution is more than economic, because they understand in a special way how glorious it is to be an American. They renew our pride and gratitude in the United States of America, the greatest, freest nation in the world - the last, best hope of man on Earth." [President Ronald Reagan]
You see, immigrants, (almost all of them, are not the criminals, rapists and drain on resources that Trump would have you believe. The crime rate amongst illegal immigrants is lower than the general population. They contribute to the economy greatly. It is estimated that the cost of such a mass deportation to be almost a trillion dollars over a decade. That is just the up front cost. The loss of labor and its impact on the economy would be massive as the construction and agriculture industries would lose at least one in eight workers and one in 14 workers in hospitality, including 30 percent of the workers in major construction trades, such as plasterers, roofers and painters; nearly 28 percent of graders and sorters of agriculture produces; and a fourth of all housekeeping cleaners. Most Americans are too lazy to do the work or find it beneath their dignity. There are at least 1 million undocumented immigrant entrepreneurs who generated $27.1 billion in total business income in 2022.
Overall, mass deportation would lead to a loss of 4.2 percent to 6.8 percent of annual U.S. GDP, or $1.1 trillion to $1.7 trillion in 2022 dollars. In comparison, the U.S. GDP shrunk by 4.3 percent during the Great Recession between 2007 and 2009 making the chances of another large economic downturn under Trump's next administration highly probable. The negative impact would be the most significant in California, Texas, and Florida, the three states that were home to 47.2 percent of the country's undocumented immigrants in 2022 and where one in every 20 residents would be deported. (American Immigration Council)
It is not a surprise, when you consider that Trump, thought by his voters to be great on the economy and the nation as a whole, is quite the opposite. It is also not a surprise in that almost every Republican president since Herbert Hoover has cause an economic downturn with their trickle-down economic policies of helping the rich at the expense of the poor and middle-class. Even Reagan caused economic woes, it was just delayed until his Vice-President George H. W. Bush took office (remember "Its the economy , stupid!") True conservatives should be aware of the poor results recorded during Trump's previous four-year administration:
• The federal debt held by the public went up, from $14.4 trillion to $21.6 trillion or 7.2 trillion dollars.
• The economy lost 2.7 million jobs.
• The unemployment rate increased by 1.7 percentage points to 6.4%.
• The trade deficit in goods and services in 2020 was the highest since 2008 and increased 36.3%.
• The number of people lacking health insurance rose by 3 million.
• Illegal immigration increased.
• The murder rate in his last year rose to the highest level since 1997.
• Home prices rose 27.5%
(FactCheck.org}
In fact, much of the inflation that was credited to Biden's administration, was caused by many of the fiscal policies of the Trump administration. Yet, Trump used inflation to win the 2024 election when he himself contributed to much of it. You cannot let the rich get out of paying taxes, yet keep spending to the greatest deficit in our nation's history. Any high school economics student can tell you that causes inflation. Now Trump, in his xenophobic frenzy, wants to contribute to the loss of 4.2 percent to 6.8 percent of annual U.S. GDP, while reducing taxes for the wealthy once again and raising tariffs, which will cause inflation to go into obit.
Enough said. God commanded us to love immigrants, so how can any good Christian support this attack on millions of people contributing greatly to our American economy and who just want to be free.
God Bless!
Larry McDowell for Bible College Radio and Christian Press
Trump Pick for Attorney General Will Be Challenged by Both Parties
Washington, DC. Nov. 18, 2024- Go to top
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![]() President elect Trump's pick for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., is seen as a surprisingly poor choice by members of both major political parties. He was under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct and possible illegal drug use, as well as other issues by the House Ethics Committee. Previously, he was investigated by the Justice department for those same issues, but no charges were filed. In a speech made last year, Gaetz threatened to get rid of those in the Justice department who investigated him as well as abolishing or at least taking on a number of other governmental agencies which he felt were detrimental to MAGA political beliefs. To remove the threat of the House Ethics Committee's report to his nomination to AG, Gaetz resigned from congress, thus believing that the investigation would be concluded.
According to reporting by NBC News, more than half of Senate Republicans, including some in senior leadership positions, privately say they don't see a path for former Rep. Gaetz and would not support him to lead the Department of Justice, according to multiple people who spoke to NBC News on condition of anonymity. Newsweek reported that David Lat, a former federal prosecutor and legal commentator, wrote in his Original Jurisdiction blog that senate Democrats should quiz former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz about the law in order to "torpedo" his chances of becoming the next attorney general. While it was reported that Matt Gaetz is a lawyer, it is unlikely he has any real federal law or Justice Department experience. Lat wrote, "Don't waste your time on speechifying, which will just cause Gaetz to speechify back- something he's actually capable of. Instead, ask him rapid-fire questions about substantive law, a la Senator John Kennedy questioning judicial nominees, and let Gaetz self-asphyxiate (which he might get off on, but it's your best shot at torpedoing his nomination)."
ABC news reported that one woman, who ABC News is not identifying, told the committee that a payment from Gaetz was for sex, while others have said they were paid to attend parties that Gaetz also attended and that featured drugs and sex, multiple sources told ABC News. Gaetz has long denied all of the allegations, including paying for sex, and previously dismissed them by claiming "someone is trying to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as something more untoward."
The House Ethics Committee will meet Wednesday concerning the report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz. According to Reuters, Republican U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin called on the House of Representatives to share the ethics report into alleged sexual misconduct involving a 17-year-old girl by Matt Gaetz.
Commentary
Psalm 94:20-21 states, "Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute? They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death."
and in Proverbs 29:2 "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan." ESV
A leader should be above moral reproach, especially the leader of the most powerful nation on earth. Yet, it is not surprising to see an immoral leader nominating an immoral man to be in charge of law enforcement. Certainly, the above biblical warnings apply to one who would oversee our nation's justice. We can only hope that those many in the Republican party who are true conservatives and have not been corrupted by the MAGA movement will join with the Democrats and let moral judgement prevail in the decision to advise and not consent to this totally immoral person being the Attorney General.
God Bless!
Larry McDowell for Bible College Radio and Christian Press
Dean, McDowell Bible College
Trump Declared Winner of the 2024 Election
Washington, DC. Nov. 6, 2024- Go to top
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![]() The Associated Press declared Donald Trump the winner in Wisconsin at 5:34 am EST the day after the election, wrapping up his chances for the White House when it was determined that the remaining votes would not be enough to turn the tide towards Vice President Kamala Harris to overtake Trump. Trump had already swept the other two must-have states of Pennsylvania and Michigan in the "blue-wall" and Wisconsin sealed the deal.
Commentary
Also on this date, as editor of the former Independent Press of the seventies and now a licensed and ordained minister, I have decided there is a need for a truthful news source that Christians can come to other than politically motivated right-wing evangelical sources, Fox News, Newsmax and even more crazy right-wing internet sites. I provided some news and commentary on the McDowell Bible College supported Bible College Radio internet radio site. However, it did not have the audience that was hoped in that media. Christian PRESS (CP) was created to bring back into focus a moral outlook for the Christian world for both hardcopy and online media. Many good and well-meaning Christians have been deceived into following an immoral, corrupt, mendacious, authoritarian, anti-democratic and, when you realize the truth, irreligious leadership. They look with tunnel vision to one or two narrow issues they believe is important to them such as abortion or the immorality of the gay lifestyle, ignoring the character and moral foundation of the leader. Those deceived Christians chose a leader who rarely ever attended a church service. Even the church he claimed to have attended in his youth stated that he was never a member and voted that he would never be allowed membership due to his immoral character. In supporting this con man who would use anything, even religion, to gain power, these deceived Christians are willing to throw the baby out with the bath water. Fortunately, many Christians, including the staff of CP, still feel that character counts when choosing those who would be role models to our youth and examples to the rest of the world.
In 2019, the editor of Christianity Today, an evangelical magazine that was founded in the fifties by Billy Graham, came out against Trump. Galli wrote in the editorial, "The president of the United States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of the president's political opponents," Galli wrote in the editorial. “That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral." He put a crack in the evangelical support of Trump because he had the moral courage to stand up to that bully. However, he paid the price of having to step down from his position at the magazine. With 81 percent of evangelicals voting for the morally corrupt president in 2016, it was refreshing to see that not every Christian had drunk the Trump Kool-Aid.
I am not putting myself on the level of Mark Galli, as I have so much less to lose, but when I took on bigotry and hate in the seventies with Independent Press in Birmingham, Alabama, I received threats. I spent 20 years in the military and although I never served in combat, there was always the chance I would be called. I answer that call again. Christians need to start following the teachings of Jesus and God's commandments and refute this evil, deceiving, immoral Trump, or I worry about their very souls, much less the soul of our nation. You cannot support a wicked ruler and still consider yourself a follower of Jesus.
We know well the words of Jesus when he stated in Matthew chapter 7:
15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." (ESV)
and Mark 13:
5 And Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray." (ESV)
While Jesus stated that this would happen. Remember the more of Mark 13:
7 "And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains." (ESV)
Those strong in Jesus Christ can avoid the worst. It is never too late to turn to truly Christian leaders who actually attend a church and pray to the Almighty. But how are you going to know if your only news source is Fox News or Newsmax (who have collectively spent billions of dollars in lawsuits for lying) or even less reliable sources on the internet.
Good Christians followed Hitler on to the path of the destruction of Germany. Years ago, an old Nazi told of voting for Hitler and enjoying the promise of a schnitzel in every pot and a Volkswagen in every garage, until he was no longer allowed to vote. A clergyman did not speak up about the horrible treatment of the Jews, because he was not a Jew. Then, it was too late and it was his turn to be sent off to the concentration camps. Christians around the world, even today, follow would be dictators until it is too late for them to change course. Now, good Christians in America have followed another would be dictator down the path to destruction - twice. They forget he instigated an attack on the Capital building and democracy itself, they have no memory of his numerous adulterous acts (none of which he has repented for - he does not believe he needs to repent), his deception during the pandemic that cost the lives of thousands, his numerous bankruptcies to steal from others, and finally, his seven trillion dollar deficit (the largest in history) that contributed to most of the inflation that he blamed on his successor.
But, it is not too late to turn back towards the Lord. To turn away from evil and to do what Jesus would do. America is not a theocracy. By taking rights away from one group so that you try and force your own beliefs on others, you risk losing your own rights in turn. Hillary Clinton once stated that abortion should be legal but rare and woke up to read a devotional each morning. She attended church regularly. Yet, Franklin Graham never mentioned any of that or the fact that her opponent never went to church when he sent out blatantly one-sided support for Trump to churches nation wide. Churches as nonprofits should never involve themselves in politics, yet they do, failing to remember the master's words, "...render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (ESV) Trying to do the right thing about abortion and gays, churches and Christians have allowed a would be dictator to attack the basic precepts of this nation under God. Freedom of religion also means freedom from the domination of one religious denomination over another. That is a foundational concept we must always remember.
As the website is built and I begin the process of building the hard copy magazine, I will also put these news and commentary pieces on the Bible College Radio several times a day and on YouTube. I hope you will come back and read or view these issues of importance to all Christians from a biblical and moral perspective, all for His Glory.
God Bless!
Larry McDowell for Bible College Radio and Christian Press
Dean, McDowell Bible College
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